VIDEO: Music Album News Pop: Kid Rock, and Other Bands on Scalping Summer Tours

Kid Rock, and other bands on scalping summer tours. Miley Cyus Can't Stop! Announces New Single And Release ...

VIDEO: Raw: Bynes Makes Court Appearance in Wig

Actress Amanda Bynes appeared disheveled in a long blond wig and sweats Friday in a New York criminal ...

NBC Sets Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert For May 29

Blake Shelton’s relief benefit concert for victims of the tornado that hit The Voice judge’s native state of Oklahoma will air live on NBC on May 29 at 9 PM ET, the network announced today. It will also air on Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.

OKLAHOMA CITY - May 24, 2013 - Blake Shelton has organized and will headline the telethon “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” on May 29, to take place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill will also perform. Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly. The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It will also air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis. “Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.” The event will raise funds for the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Working with their local community partners, United Way of Central Oklahoma will use the Fund for immediate, intermediate and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts in Oklahoma following the tornadoes that devastated Moore earlier this week. Born and raised in Oklahoma and currently residing in ... Read More »

Google Needs To Bring Emerging Markets Online To Grow Its Business Opportunities In the Next 10 years

The WSJ has reported that Google is participating in discussions with emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Africa about setting up wireless network infrastructure in cities and towns. A source told the WSJ that: "The wireless networks would be available to dwellers outside of major cities where wired Internet connections aren't available and could be used to improve Internet speeds in urban centers."

Gmail For Android Could Soon Get A Navigation Drawer

The folks over on Android Police must have spent some of their time rewatching I/O videos. While they were doing that, they spotted a potential leak during the "Structure in Android App Design" session. In it, it seems, Google quietly leaked screenshots of what looks to be a revamped interface for the Gmail app.

Desiree Hartsock: Still Obsessed With Sean Lowe?

The Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live the other night, and it was a bit awkward ... which is standard for Des.

Still, it began to encroach into awkward awkward ... not cute awkward.

Obviously, she's not gonna give away The Bachelorette spoilers or anything. But when Jimmy started asking her about Sean Lowe? A tad uncomfortable:

She'd "probably" have accepted his proposal? Seriously?

Maybe she's just being honest and was that into the guy, but you have to wonder from a girl who just came off her very own special journey for love on ABC.

Could Desiree Hartsock be holding out hope that Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici don't last, just in case she and [see above for winner] also fizzle in the coming months?

We're probably just reaching. It's a slow news day people.

Check out the second half of her interview below ...

 

CW Schedules Unaired Episodes Of ‘Cult’

Cancelled midseaosn CW drama Cult will return on the air June 28, with the six unaired episodes slated to run in two-hour blocks from 8-10 PM over three consecutive Fridays. The show’s creator Rockne S. O’Bannon shared the news on Twitter last night. With Cult’s scheduling, all serialized freshman dramas which had been pulled this past season are getting a chance to air all produced episodes. ABC recently slated burn-off runs for 666 Park Ave. and Zero Hour.

This Week On The TechCrunch Gadgets Podcast: So Many Laptops, But Only One Xbox

Thank the old gods and the new that it's Friday, AMIRITE? You know what that means right? Friday is Gadgets Podcast day, and boy do we have a show for you! In this episode, John Biggs, Matt Burns and Darrell Etherington discuss Microsoft's just-announced Xbox One, complete with voice commands, a brand new Kinect, a slew of new entertainment/social features, and the best specs yet. Plus, Laptop Week is coming to a close, so the fellas discuss some of their faves, like the Dell XPS 13 Developer's Edition with Ubuntu and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina.

Laptop Week Review: Google Chromebook Pixel

The Chromebook Pixel is the Chromebook I'd pick as my personal Chromebook – if money was no option, and if I felt I really needed a Chromebook. It's an impressive beast, like a Bird of Paradise, but in the end a trained falcon would be a way better winged thing to own, since it could catch you some wild game, instead of jut prancing around with its mesmerizing but fairly useless mating displays.

Erply Raises $2.15 Million Series B Led By Redpoint For iPad-Oriented Retail Software Tech

Erply, the startup that makes iPad-oriented and cloud-based point of sale and inventory management software for retailers, has raised $2.15 million in new funding, co-founder CEO Kristian Hiiemaa tells TechCrunch. The round, which is Erply's Series B, was led by Redpoint Ventures with the participation of Index Ventures and Dave McClure's 500 Startups. This brings the total venture capital investment into Erply to $4.2 million.

Ian Anthony Dale Joins TNT’s ‘Murder’, Aaron Hill Added To ABC Family’s ‘Twisted’

Ian Anthony Dale (The Hangover, NBC’s The Event) has joined the cast of TNT’s drama pilot Murder In The First as a series regular. Co-created by Steven Bochco and Eric Lodal, the project is a murder mystery that centers on San Fransisco PD homicide detectives Terry Seagrave (Taye Diggs) and Hildy Mulligan (Kathleen Robertson), as they take on a case that seems more like a maze. Dale will play Lieutenant Jim Koto, a no-nonsense homicide police lieutenant with movie star good looks who is Hildy and Terry’s superior. The actor, repped by A Management, Kohner Agency and Derek Kroeger, is recurring on CBS’ a Hawaii Five-O as Adam Noshimuri, son to head of the Yakuza and boyfriend of Five-O officer Kono Kalakaua (Grace Park). Greek alum Aaron Hill has landed a recurring role on ABC Family’s new mystery drama series Twisted, centered on a charismatic 16-year-old (Avan Jogia) with a troubled past who becomes the prime suspect when a fellow student is found dead in her home. Hill, repped by SMS Talent and The Marshak/Zachary Co., will play Eddie, the kind of guy that you would bring home to meet your parents who also a brave and fearless cop. He also recently wrapped work on Ivan Reitman’s Draft Day.

VIDEO: Stock Market Crashes Latest News: Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P Jumps

Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P&G Jumps. Doomsday Investors Bet on Market Crash. Stock slump continues ...

VIDEO: Latest Business News: Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P Jumps

Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P&G Jumps. Delta ups the ante in battle for NY travel ...

VIDEO: Liam Gallagher Scoffs At Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’

Of all people to open their trap and snap at a successful endeavor like Daft Punk, it's Liam ...

VIDEO: Stock Market Crashes Latest News: Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P Jumps

Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P&G Jumps. Doomsday Investors Bet on Market Crash. Stock slump continues ...

VIDEO: Latest Business News: Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P Jumps

Wall St. Slips on Fed Stimulus Uncertainty; P&G Jumps. Delta ups the ante in battle for NY travel ...

Amazon Launches App Engagement Reports, Allowing Appstore Developers To Track App Usage & Revenue

Continuing to grow its suite of services aimed at mobile app developers, Amazon today announced App Engagement Reports, free app usage reports that are now a part of the company's Mobile App Distribution Portal. The reports are designed for Amazon Appstore developers in need of information about app performance and revenue.

Ann Curry Cuts Hair, Riles Up NBC Bosses

You'll forgive Ann Curry for not caring a whole lot about what her NBC bosses think.

The former Today Show host made her first live appearance on screen last night since her controversial firing, hosting the Nightly News for Brian Williams.

And while fans were psyched to see the return of this former co-host, they were also taken aback by her new haircut. As were network producers, apparently.

"Ann was always told by her bosses that her hair had to be long, and she just didn’t like to wear it at that length," an insider tells The Daily Mail. "She is a no-fuss gal, and doesn't want to spend a ton of time styling her hair. [So] she just decided to cut it."

Curry reportedly clashed often with producers during her Today run, with higher-ups mocking her fashion and style.

So perhaps this was her small attempt at revenge?

Either way, what's done is done. What do you think of Curry's shorter hair?

Cannes: French Comedy ‘Me Myself and Mum’ Tops Directors’ Fortnight

The comedy "Me Myself and Mum" won the top award in the Directors' Fortnight section at Cannes on Friday.

The film from Guillaume Gallienne, a screen version of the French actor's autobiographical stage show, also won the SACD Prize, which is given out by the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers to the top French-language film in the section.

The Europa Cinemas Label award for the best European film in the section was awarded to "The Selfish Giant," the narrative feature debut from "The Arbor" director Clio Barnard. It was recently acquired by Sundance Selects.

Joao Nicolau's "Gambozinos" ("A Wild Goose Chase") received the Prix Illy du court metrage.

The prizes were chosen by separate juries consisting of independent cinema programmers, member exhibitors in the Europa Cinemas chain and a commission established by La SACD.

Other films in Directors' Fortnight, an independent section that runs parallel with Cannes, included Ari Folman's "The Congress," Alejandro Jodorowsky's "The Dance of Reality," Yolande Moreau's "Henri" and Marcel Ophuls' "Un voyageur."

The main Cannes awards, including the Palme d'Or, will be presented on Sunday.

The Directors' Fortnight awards:

Art Cinema Award: "Me Myself and Mum," Guillaume Gallienne
Europa Cinemas Label award for Best European Film: "The Selfish Giant," Clio Barnard
SACD Prize: "Me Myself and Mum"
   Special mention: "Tip Top"
Prix Illy du court metrage: "Gambozinos," Joao Nicolau
   Special mention: "About a Month," Andre Novais Oliveira

Disrupt SF 2013 Startup Battlefield Applications Are Open And Conference Tickets Are On Sale Now

TechCrunch Disrupt SF is back! We're very excited to announce tickets are on sale and stealth companies can now apply for Startup Battlefield. This September 7-11, we're bringing Disrupt back to San Francisco to welcome an all new slate of outstanding startups, influential speakers, guests and more to the stage. It marks the seventh time we've set up shop here in SF and once again all the action -- starting with our 24 hour Hackathon -- happens at The Concourse at San Francisco Design Center.

Cannes: Directors’ Fortnight Honors ‘Les Garçons Et Guillaume’, ‘Selfish Giant’

The Directors’ Fortnight sidebar has its closing ceremony tonight with Yolande Moreau’s Henri screening after the prize ceremony. The section is actually non-competitive, but certain partners of the Société des Réalisateurs Français, the French directors’ body that organizes the event, attribute awards. Frenchman Guillaume Gallienne won two prizes tonight for Les Garçons Et Guillaume, A Table!, while Brit helmer Clio Barnard took the Europa Cinema Label honor for The Selfish Giant. Her film was recently acquired by Sundance Selects. Last year’s winners included Pablo Larrain’s No, which went on to be nominated for a foreign language Oscar, and Noémie Lvovsky’s Camille Redouble which later scored 13 nominations at France’s César Awards. Here’s the group that took prizes for the 2013 edition of the Fortnight: Art Cinéma Award Les Garçons Et Guillaume, A Table!, dir: Guillaume Gallienne SACD Prize Les Garçons Et Guillaume, A Table!, dir: Guillaume Gallienne Special mention to Tip-Top, dir: Serge Bozon Europa Cinéma Label Prize The Selfish Giant, dir: Clio Barnard Short Film Gambozinos, dir: João Nicolau

Tumblr Proves That Even Billion Dollar Companies Can Screw Up Mass Emails

Tumblr just can’t catch a break. Yeah, yeah, they’re getting a billion dollars from Yahoo — but it’s been a torrent of criticism ever since. Angry users! Porn! Poooooorn! Know what probably won’t help? Botching the key detail of an email sent to many of your most tech-savvy users. Tumblr just sent out a big ol’ mass email to all of the users who host a Tumblr blog through their own, independently owned domain. In other words, to the folks who know enough about these bleepy-bloopy electronic space typewriters we use to be able to get a bit fancy with their Tumblr blogs. It warned users of an impending change they’d need to make to their settings — a new IP address they needed to point their domain at — unless they wanted their blog to suddenly “no longer work“. The catch: they, uh, kinda forgot the most important part. They’d put in a placeholder for the IP, and… it never got replaced. “Please point your custom domain to [IP Address],” it directed. Wherps. For many of these users, this was among the first emails they’d received since the Yahoo acqusition. Within about 30 seconds, the tweets lampooning the email started going up. Moral of the story: If you work at a lil’ company and manage to botch a mass email, don’t worry too much. You’re in good company. Billion dollar company.

Don’t Hate Kendall Jenner Just Because She’s Privileged

In case you aren't caught up on the feud of the century, Kendall Jenner, the 17-year-old fame-whore-in-training who Pimp Mama Kris is grooming to be her next highest-earning kash kow, let out a poor little rich girl whine on Twitter the other day when she complained about how hard life is sometimes. I didn't think anything of it really, because if I had to look at Bruce Jenner's face every day and my pimp mom was trying hard to drop the legal porn age from 17 to 18 so she can put me in a "leaked" sex tape, I would probably tweet the same thing. But Kurt and Courtney's kid wasn't have any of it and Frances Bean Cobain let a trick have it. I love it when the most popular girl in school and the most emo-est girl in school go at it.

Was Frances Bean totally overreacting? Yes. Did I laugh at her tweets? Yes.

Kendall Jenner didn't respond to FB right away, probably because she was too busy asking everyone in the Kartrashian lair what the word "famine" means and they were all trying to find out the answer until they eventually gave up and went to buy crotchless thongs at Agent Provocateur instead. Kendall eventually responded to FB. She must've deleted her response, because I couldn't find it on Twitter, but Radar says she wrote this to FB:

“i am aware that i am very privileged and blessed, and im thankful for that everyday, i know there are greater problems in the world. i pray for those people every night and give back as much as i can. so who are u to judge me?”

Yeah, Frances Bean, so why don't you just stop judging Kendall Jenner. Because every night, Kendall Jenner prays that those less fortunate than her get themselves a stupid piece of trash sister who will turn her sex tape partner's piss stream into a multi-million dollar fame whore empire. Then they'll too get to drive around in a Range Rover at the age of 17. So how dare you judge her, Frances Bean. GAWD!

Here's PMK and the walking blueprint for Kendall Jenner's future arriving at LAX yesterday.

Arrested Development Season 4 Sneak Peeks: Bees! Ostriches!

The Bluths really are coming back. On Sunday at midnight PST, Michael, Gob and company will return for Arrested Development Season 4, years after they were believed to have said goodbye in 2006. What can fans expect from new episodes? The cast an...

Alex Trebek is Insane, Conan O’Brien Claims

Has Alex Trebek been hosting Jeopardy a little too long?

Conan believes so, as evidenced by a recent montage.

On last night's episode, the host shared some pretty interesting footage from recent Jeopardy episodes, and it seems like either Trebek or his writers are ... 

Well, either they're on something or losing it. Watch:

We'll take Utter Nonsense SMH Clues for $1,000 Alex!

President Obama Auto-Tune: Let Me Address It!!

After a speech that saw a surprised President Obama heckled by an anti-war, anti-drone, and anti-Gitmo activist, the Internet was the big winner. As Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin interrupted and harassed the POTUS during his speech on Thursda...

D.C. Broadcasters Sue Aerokiller for Copyright Infringement

Broadcasters are expanding their legal attack on Aereo-like services that let consumers view broadcast channels on the web without stations getting a retransmission fee payment.

Owners of Washington, D.C., TV stations -- including Fox, NBC, ABC and Albritton Communications -- filed suit in federal district court in Washington on Thursday against Aereokiller and its parent company FilmOn.TV Networks, alleging Aereokiller is engaged in copyright infringement in retransmitting the stations' signals.

"The purpose of this action is to restrain defendants from exploiting without authorization and violating plaintiffs rights in some of the most valuable intellectual rights is some of the most valuable intellectual property created in the United States," says the suit.

Like Aereo, Aereokiller uses thousands of tiny local antennas to gather signals from local TV stations and provide them to subscribers.

Both companies say that because each subscriber has his own antenna, their systems don't retransmit signals, and neither pays the retransmission fees that cable systems pay to offer broadcast channels on their systems.

Aereokiller, which operates in Dallas, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas and D.C., is controlled by FilmOn's Alki David, who has filed a suit accusing Aereo's Barry Diller of stealing the "Aereo" name.

Broadcasters have mounted a fierce legal attacks to stop the services. They've warned that the services threaten their retransmission fees and several network officials have raised the possibility of moving broadcast content to cable if the services aren't stopped in court.

So far, the legal attacks have had mixed success.

In New York, an appellate panel rejected broadcasters' request for a restraining order to stop Aereo from offering its service. After several broadcasters threatened to bring additional suits, Aereo has asked a court to issue a declaratory judgment that its practices are legal, but there has been no ruling as of yet.

In Los Angeles, a district court judge granted broadcasters' request for a restraining order to stop Aereokiller from serving some areas of the west. The order is now being appealed.

Meanwhile, broadcasters are filing additional suits in other locations where the services are starting.

In the D.C. lawsuit, broadcasters say what Aereokiller is doing is in fact retransmission of local stations, calling what the company is doing "flagrant infringement."

Aereokiller did not return a request for comment.

‘Fast & Furious 6′ Opens $53.4M Overseas And $6.5M Domestic From Thursday Late Shows/Friday Midnights; ‘Hangover III’ Weak $11.7M Wed/Thurs Kicks Off Very Crowded Memorial Weekend With Toon ‘Epic’ Debut

FRIDAY 11 AM, 4TH UPDATE: The real question is how much this Memorial Weekend box office can expand over last year’s to accommodate three new tentpoles and three proven blockbusters in the marketplace. Big online ticketseller Fandango reports this is its biggest Memorial Day weekend for sales ever. (Previous best was in 2011.) As expected, Universal’s Fast & Furious 6 is pulling out ahead, selling 53% more Fandango tickets than Warner Bros’ The Hangover Part III co-financed with Legendary Pictures. F&F6 debuted in 2,409 North American theaters for Thursday 10 PM late shows and Friday midnights and nearly doubled its last take. It made $6.5M which speeded past Fast 5‘s $3.8M late show grosses from an uncrowded April 29, 2011. After 12 years, five films and more than $1.5 billion at the global box office, the sixth installment is looking to successfully transition from street racing to heist action to terrorist plot when it opens wide in 3,658 U.S. and Canadian theaters today. It debuts day and date in 59 total international territories this weekend after popping Universal’s biggest opening in the UK and Ireland last Friday. Pic already has $53.4M from 34 international markets, opening #1 in all of them as the franchise’s biggest opener. Another 25 territories release today. Meanwhile, The Hangover Part III refined its Wednesday/Thursday number to $11.7M from 3,555 North American theaters. Also opening today is Twentieth Century Fox/Blue Sky Studios’ toon Epic in 3,882 locations after strong tracking and what has ... Read More »

Jennifer Hudson In Talks For ‘American Idol’ Judge Gig

This would be a first — an Oscar winner at the American Idol judging table. Sources have confirmed that Idol alumna Jennifer Hudson is in conversations with Fox about joining the talent show, which launched her career, next season. She may be one of several prominent Idol alums to return as judges next season, with inaugural winner Kelly Clarkson and second-place finishers Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken also in the mix. Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said last week that Idol will likely revert to the three-judge format next season. The show’s overhaul will likely also include the (second) departure of executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. (He first left in 2008 but was brought back two years later to usher the transition from Simon Cowell to Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler). In TV, Hudson recently recurred on NBC’s Smash.

‘Katie’ Gets Latest in Series of Executive Producers

"Katie" is getting its third executive producer this season, as Rachel Miskowiec replaces Michael Morrison, who replaced Jeff Zucker.

It's not unusual for a show to get a new executive producer after its first season, but it is unusual to go through three in so short a time. Then again, not every show's executive producer departs to lead CNN, as Zucker did earlier this year. Producer Michael Bass, who has worked with Zucker for years, went with him.

Miskowiec (pictured) is taking over next week at "Katie," the top new syndicated show of the season.

She formerly served as executive producer on "The Tyra Banks Show," winning two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Informative Talk Show. She also spent eight years at "The Ricki Lake Show." She was most recently a development executive at Telepictures Productions.

"Rachel Miskowiec is an incredibly passionate and experienced veteran of daytime TV," said Vicki Dummer, executive vice president of ABC Media Group. "She is creative, smart and a great leader. Rachel is fearless and competitive, and she truly loves making daytime television.  We are very excited to have her join the 'Katie' team as we enter our second season."