| Jonas Brothers out on their own
Following their graduation from Hannah Montana Middle School, kids might enroll at Jonas Brothers High School. Those aren't actual educational institutions, of course, but as kids age, they often tire of one musical act and "graduate" to another. The Jonas Brothers also have graduated, in a sense. They were the opening act for the Hannah Montana concert at the Allstate Arena in December. Friday night, the New Jersey siblings returned to the venue in Rosemont, but this time it was a stop on their first tour as a headlining act. The Jonas Brothers are guitar-wielding Kevin, 20; acrobatic vocalist Joe, 18, and plucky multi-instrumentalist Nick, 15, who can play guitar, drums and piano. The band's concerts attract exactly the same demographic as a Hannah Montana show -- girls in their early teens accompanied by their patient, compliant mothers.
Adults have long way to go to rival teens' technology grasp
In type that scrolls up the screen like the preface for Star Wars, a YouTube video reads, "For years, parents could not text message. They could not figure out how to record a voice mail. They could not even connect to the Internet without using AOL." Warning that parents are adapting to technological gadgets, it flips to a short clip of a man learning to use the video capabilities on his cell phone. "Watch with caution," it closes, "and pray that your own parents do not gain these powers."Techno-tweens and teens can relax.According to a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, there's a long way to go before adults embrace interactive online media to the degree that teens have.An estimated 64 percent of those ages 12 to 17 have created some form of online content.While only 8 percent of adults have created a blog, 28 percent of teens have.While 55 percent of online teens have a profile on a social network, such as Facebook or MySpace, only 20 percent of adult users do.And while 27 percent of teens have created or worked on their own Web pages, 14 percent of adults have.The report also gives insight into some popular stereotypes.Boys indeed post more video files and play more online games, but girls dominate the blogosphere and photo postings.Teens from single-parent or lower-income households are more likely to blog than affluent teens in more traditional households.Although e-mail is losing relevance, traditional modes of communication, such as land lines and face-to-face contact, still matter.And content creators aren't so wrapped up in the virtual world that the real world suffers -- they're more likely than their less-creative peers to participate in school clubs and to hold a part-time job.Amanda Ryan, a 17-year-old senior at Canyon del Oro High School, estimates she spends about two hours a day on the computer, half doing research for college applications and half networking.She has a blog, where she posts digital photos.
Stepping out of TN to shine in Japan
Some dream, others accomplish. A group of four young, talented people from Tamilnadu would never have imagined that they would ever step out of their State. But now they are, gearing up to be on their way to foreign soil to prove that they are champions in their own way. P SaiKrishnan from Chennai, Hari Shanthan of Kotagiri, Senthil Kumar from Vellore and E Mohan of Ranipet would be part of the Indian contingent, which would be taking part in the International Abilympics, the Olympics for vocational skills for person with disability, to be held in Japan in November 2007. They were qualified for the international- level after winning the events at the national-level held in New Delhi in February 2007. The objective of the event is to discover, promote and nurture the talent of persons with disability living in the remotest part of the country, said Rajul Padmanaban, director of Vidya Sagar, a Chennai voluntary organisation and southern partner for Abilympics.
Production notes
Once again I apologize with all my heart to the staff of the Potawotomi Casino in Kansas." Wherever Borat touched down, he left a shaken populace in his wake. In Washington, D.C., he rocked a Gay Pride parade -- "Many peoples friendly to me in America. In Washingtons, a guy in bikinis grab my busherka," Borat exclaims. But his travels through the South left an especially strong imprint on Borat and his "subjects." Baron Cohen, as Borat, infuriated audience members at a Salem, Virgina rodeo by singing the Kazakh "national anthem" to the tune of the American anthem. After the rendition, a group of irate rodeo hands on horseback surrounded the filmmakers' van, demanding that they be lynched. Also in the South, Borat tried to figure out the American art of shopping -- strangest of all, the practice of paying lots of money for old things called "antiques." At a small antique store, Borat is incredibly clumsy and manages to destroy hundreds of dollars of items.
Polaroid Says Goodbye to Instant Photo Technology
Polaroid, the company famous for their instant cameras and photos, has decided to shut down factories within the United States and abroad as they abandon the technology that made instant photos possible. Polaroid will cease all production of its film by next year. It seems that the instantly gratifying Polaroid images have finally been done in by digital cameras and the endless Flickr pages full of digital images. Polaroid's instant camera was first introduced in 1948. When it was first unveiled, it was large and bulky with a stainless steel body and black bellows, and the film came on a roll. The next incarnation of the Polaroid instant camera came in 1963, when they introduced cartridge film with their 100-series camera. It became an instant hit with pro photographers, who would use the Polaroid to take test photos, and instantly use it to check lighting and composition.
Brady's inquisitors direct - and veiled
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Before offering himself up for public consumption in the annual rite of madness known as Super Bowl Media Day, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady playfully turned the tables on the ravenous horde lying in wait for him at University of Phoenix Stadium. Hounded by paparazzi since the day after the AFC Championship, when he showed up at the New York apartment of supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bundchen with flowers in hand and a walking cast on his right foot, Brady for a moment joined ranks with the camera-toting stalkers. "I gotta do this," Brady said, producing a small digital camera and snapping a photograph of the horde. "I'm not going to remember this one day." The first question, naturally, was about Brady's ankle. It came from the NFL Network's Deion Sanders, whom Brady photographed and addressed as "Prime." "My ankle feels good.
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