Technology Slice Blog

Sheen Morality Clause - How much trouble is Charlie Sheen worth? It's a question that CBS can't escape lately, as the star of the network's most-watched sitcom racks up legal issues and personal scandals. On Monday, Sheen gave CBS a fresh reason to worry. During a highly erratic interview on the syndicated sports talk radio program "The Dan Patrick Show," the 45-year-old actor, who's on hiatus from his show "Two and a Half Men" until he completes an in-home rehab, told host Dan Patrick that he was ready to work. Though he admitted that his sobriety has been "off and on," Sheen suggested that he'd already returned to the set, and was "banging on the stage door" but no one would let him in. (CBS declined to comment.) While Sheen continued to talk in a raspy voice ("I sound like Demi Moore in her 80s," he joked), swinging from topic to topic, Patrick asked if he's heard from any of his handlers yet during this ...

Darren Criss and Out Magazine Cover - From Entertainment Weekly to Prestige, breakout Glee star Darren Criss is all over newsstands these days. For his latest photo shoot, Criss decided to unveil his sexy side by showing some skin for the latest issue of Out magazine. Drenched and dripping, the "Teenage Dream" singer posed for a series of sizzling shots while discussing his career and role as Glee's openly gay teenager Blaine. "I just like playing music and hanging out. You want me to play songs for you? Great! You know how inherently gratifying that is?" the actor said of performing. Criss also commented on Blaine's future with friend (and possible boyfriend?) Kurt (Chris Colfer). "The most important thing to convey to those watching is for Kurt to have someone he can relate to," Criss said. "This is the first time he has a young out male friend, a support system, to show that that’s possible." Fans of the onscreen duo will have to ...

Romance Publisher Patent the Kiss - Harlequin Enterprises, renowned publisher of pulp romance novels, has applied for a patent on the romantic kiss. The application, if granted, leaves open the possibility that we may one day have to pay a licensing fee to lock lips with the ones we covet. Don't start worrying yet. Harlequin, which releases 110 novels a month and publishes in 115 countries around the world, said it would keep any patented kisses in the public domain. "Should this patent be approved and registered by the U.S. Patent Office," the Toronto publisher announced in its seven-page patent application, "we will immediately make the method freely available to all persons everywhere in the interests of enhancing romantic love and generally making the world a better place." News, Michelle Renaud, senior manager of public relations for Harlequin, emphasized that Harlequin hadn't considered charging for kisses. When asked whether the company's...

Blake Shelton Miranda Lambert No Romance - Blake Shelton says Valentine's Day with fiancée Miranda Lambert probably won't be too passionate this year – and it has nothing to do with her forgetting to thank him at the Grammy Awards. "The Grammys have kind of screwed up Valentine's Day for everybody here," the country singer, 34, told PEOPLE at the music-awards show on Sunday. "We're all going to get wasted tonight. I mean, we are. And we're going to feel like crap. The last thing we're going to want to do tomorrow is touch each other." For her part, Lambert, 27 – who won Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "The House That Built Me" – said she's still expecting Shelton to step up today. "We're going to be exhausted and traveling home all night long. So, we'll probably just be chill," she said. "But I'm not going to let him use that as a cop-out, definitely." Hopefully, he won't ho...

Ashlee Simpson Moves in with Jessica - Last week, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz shocked fans when they announced that they were divorcing. While the couple had been plagued by marital woes for a good chunk of their nearly three years as a couple, they put on a brave face publicly. New details about the split are now surfacing. According to an In Touch source, Simpson sought comfort in her family, specifically older sister Jessica, when she and her rocker husband were on the rocks. "Leaving Pete was tough for Ashlee and she needed to be with her family," the source said. "Jessica told her she and Bronx were welcome to stay with them until she was ready to find a place of her own." Simpson has been staying with Jessica and her fiancé, Eric Johnson, during the difficult time. Ashlee and Pete's son, Bronx, has also been with her. "There have been a lot of family dinners and lots of praying," the source further explained. "Ashlee couldn't ha...

David Beckham Loses in Touch Lawsuit - After a months-long court battle against In Touch Magazine, David Beckham's lawsuit has been dismissed by a U.S. district judge, according to RadarOnline.com. Beckham sued the gossip magazine last year after a cover story featuring former "high-class call girl" Irma Nici alleged that she slept with the soccer player on more than one occasion. The superstar athlete, 35, had his attorneys file lawsuits in Germany and the United States last September, arguing the magazine's publisher, Delaware-based Bauer Publishing Company LP, was guilty of libel, slander and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In U.S. court declarations, Beckham went on to swear he “never met Nici, let alone committed adultery or paid her for sex." Bauer, however, argued that they did “nothing more than report what it believed was absolutely true … based on the firsthand recollections of Irma Nici as confirmed by" other sources. Read...

Prince William Middleton Ask for Charitable Donations - What can you give the couple who has everything? That's likely the question many of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding guests are asking themselves ahead of the big day. Luckily for guests, Prince William and Middleton aren't expecting gifts. Instead, the royal couple wants guests and well-wishers to make donations to various charities. "When the invitations are issued, they will have some kind of instruction on how to make a donation to a charity chosen by the couple," a senior royal aide told U.K. newspaper The Telegraph. "They are still considering whether it will be just the foundation, or whether they will also pick individual charities and projects which they are linked with," the official added. Prince William has been actively involved with a number of charities over the years thanks to the influence of his mother, Princess Diana. He's a known supporter of 28 charitie...

Darren Criss and Out Magazine - Glee newcomer Darren Criss flaunts his impressive six-pack abs inside Out Magazine's annual Hollywood Issue (on stands February 22) -- but that's not all the 24-year-old actor is revealing. The March cover boy -- whose cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" shot to the top of the iTunes charts last year -- also opens up about why he came out as straight after landing the role of Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, during Glee's second season. "I think it's more empowering to everybody, including myself, if I'm articulate about identifying myself as a straight male playing a gay character," the San Francisco native reasons. "Ultimately, that's more powerful for both communities." Not that his fans should be too surprised -- the University of Michigan alum grew up surrounded by members of the gay community. As a child actor, Criss performed in local musicals (including Les Mise...

Farm Animals New Diseases - A growing number of livestock, such as cows and pigs, are fuelling new animal epidemics worldwide and posing more severe problems in developing countries as it threatens their food security, according to a report released on Friday. Epidemics in recent years, such as SARS and the H1N1 swine flu, are estimated to have caused billions of dollars in economic costs. Some 700 million people keep farm animals in developing countries and these animals generate up to 40 percent of household income, the report by the International Livestock Research Institute said. "Wealthy countries are effectively dealing with livestock diseases, but in Africa and Asia, the capacity of veterinary services to track and control outbreaks is lagging dangerously behind livestock intensification," John McDermott and Delia Grace at the Nairobi-based institute said in a statement on the report. "This lack of capacity is particularly dangerous because many poor peop...

Giffords Brain Rewiring - Compared to a sleek new laptop, that three-pound mass of fatty tissue called the brain may not look like much. But when it's injured, it adapts and rewires its circuits in new ways. That's the kind of flexibility that doctors and rehabilitation specialists hope to encourage in Gabrielle Giffords, the brain-injured Arizona congresswoman. Details about her recovery have been thin. But members of her staff say she recently began speaking for the first time since the Jan. 8 attack by a gunman in Tucson. Brain injury patients who regain speech typically begin to do that about four to six weeks after the injury, experts say. Still, recovery for the 40-year-old Giffords will be a long, tough journey, as it is for anyone with a significant brain injury. Patients can make remarkable progress. But experts caution that they shouldn't expect to return to exactly the way they were before. Giffords Brain Rewiring

Energy Drinks Kids Teens - Your daily Red Bull fix could soon be regulated as stringently as tobacco, alcohol and prescription medications. A new report in the Medical Journal of Pediatrics says energy drinks are under-studied, over-used and can be dangerous for children and teens. The dangers include heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death. The report says energy drinks should be regulated. Registered Dietitian and Boston University nutrition professor Joan Salge Blake has more on the study. Energy Drinks Kids Teens

MTSU Campus Shooting - One man has been shot in a shooting that took place Monday at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Police have a suspect in custody. The shooting at the Murfreesboro campus was reported just before noon from the Business and Aerospace Building. The shooting occurred during a fight between two men on the campus. The victim is being treated for an injured thumb but there are no serious injuries reported. The MTSU campus was put on lockdown as SWAT teams and U.S. Marshals combed the campus looking for the suspect, whose name has not yet been released. MTSU Campus Shooting

Bachelor Pads More Germs - Turns out some pearls of wisdom are laced into Beyonce's hit song: “All the single ladies. All the single ladies. Now put your hands up. ...” Seriously, if you are in bachelor’s home, follow her advice and put your hands up — now. Or put them in your pockets. Better yet, put on mittens. And from now on pack some antibacterial spray along with your can of mace. New research has just confirmed the old suspicion that the residences of single men are among the most foul in the land. But things are far grungier than random socks dangling from lampshades or towers of crusty dishes teetering in sinks. After testing for germs on four common surfaces — TV remotes, coffee tables, nightstands and doorknobs — scientists learned that bachelor pads contain 15 times the amount of bacteria than do the homes of bachelorettes. Ready to really get down and dirty in the singles scene? Seven of every 10 coffee tables checked at the guys’ places harbored coliforms — a v...

Nearly 800K Dorel Car Seats Recalled - Nearly 800,000 child safety seats produced by Dorel Juvenile Group are being recalled due to safety harness problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday. The recall covers booster, convertible and infant seats made by DJG of Columbus, Ind. At issue is the harness locking and release button, which does not always return to its locked position. This can allow the harness adjustment strap to slip back through the adjuster as a child moves around in the seat and results in a loose harness, increasing the risk of being injured in a crash. DJG said the problem involves certain restraint systems manufactured from May 1, 2008, through April 30, 2009, which have a "Center Front Adjuster" for the harness. Nearly 800K Dorel Car Seats Recalled

Katie Holmes Horror Movie - FilmDistrict and Miramax have announced a partnership for the U.S. distribution of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, set for theatrical release on August 12. The release date for the horror remake, produced and co-written by Guillermo Del Toro, had been delayed in October, when Disney was in the process of unloading Miramax. Directed by Troy Nixey and based on a 1973 made-for-TV movie (which producer Del Toro has said is among the scariest ever made), the plot revolves around a young girl (Bailee Madison), who hears voices coming from the hidden cellar of the ancient Rhode Island home she’s moved to with her dad (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes). Katie Holmes Horror Movie

New York City Launches Mobile Phone App for Free Condoms - "We want New York City to be the safest city in the world to have sex," said Dr. Monica Sweeney, the city's assistant health commissioner "A lot of people come here for that, so we want them to practice safer sex." The application, available for download on the iPhone and Android phones, taps into the city's database of over 1,000 different locations in the area which offer free condoms. The app uses GPS technology or an address input to give users directions to the nearest five places in the city that are giving out free condoms. The city is rolling out the application on Valentine's Day, which also happens to be National Condom Awareness Day. For the past five years, the city has been giving out free condoms at an average of 3 million a month. New York City has come under criticism in the past for its condom distribution program, especially from parents of younger children who claim th...

Katharine Mcphee and Spielberg Musical - "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee has signed up for the Steven Spielberg TV musical drama "Smash". The pilot for U.S. network NBC revolves around a cross section of characters who come together to mount a Broadway musical inspired by silver screen icon Marilyn Monroe. Playwright Theresa Rebeck wrote the pilot; Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening") will direct. Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are executive producers with "Hairspray"'s Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, while Tony-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman will write original songs. Debra Messing and Jack Davenport ("FlashForward") have been cast as the lyricist and choreographer, respectively. "Smash" is an ambitious project for broadcast television. Until Fox's "Glee", TV musicals had not exactly had a successful track record, with experiments including the Hugh Jackman-headli...

100-ft-Long Drug Submarine Found in Colombia - A submarine capable of transporting eight tons of cocaine has been seized by authorities on Colombia's southwest Pacific coast, EFE reported Monday. The submersible was reportedly ready to embark upon its maiden voyage and would have been able to travel as far as Mexico had it not been intercepted Sunday in rural Timbiqui, Cauca. "It is the first submersible to be seized in the country," said General Jaime Herazo. Semi-submersible vessels, which cannot go fully underwater, have been in use by Colombian drug traffickers for some years. The captured vessel "can travel up to nine meters underwater," added Herazo, saying that the ship was made of fibreglass and contained all the necessary technology to submerse itself fully. Costing an estimated $2.12 million, with the capacity for four crew members, Herazo believes that the ship belongs to "narco-traffickers coupled with narco-terrorists, who received a h...

Breastfeeding Supplies Deductible - Mothers can now claim tax deductions on breast pumps and other feeding supplies for their babies, the Internal Revenue Service said on Thursday. The tax breaks, which apply for expenditures in 2010 and for tax filings due this April, allow nursing mothers and families to use pre-tax flexible health spending account money for breastfeeding supplies like breast pumps. However, medical expenses are still only deductible if they collectively account for more than 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. The IRS reversal in policy comes after the agency concluded that “breast pumps and supplies that assist lactation are medical care” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, and affect a lactating mother’s body. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) hailed the IRS announcement as “an important victory for the health of women and children across the country by making breastfeeding a more practical option for new and working mothers.” Breastfeedin...

Nasal Stem Cells and Hearing Problems - Australian scientists have shown for the first time in mice that nasal stem cells injected into the inner ear have the potential to reverse or restore hearing during early onset sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when hearing cells in the cochlea lose their function. Frequently inherited, and usually starting during infancy and early childhood, the condition can slow a child's development and lead to speech and language problems. Drs Jeremy Sullivan, Sonali Pandit and Sharon Oleskevich from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, found that stem cells appear to release 'factors', or chemical substances, that help preserve the function of cochlear hearing cells, without the stem cells becoming part of the tissue of the inner ear. Their findings are published in Stem Cells, now online. "We are exploring the potential of stem cells to prevent or restore hearing loss in people," said ...

Financial Signs of a Cheating Spouse - Most of us are blissfully unaware our spouse is cheating on us, but there are financial signs we can pick up if we look for them. Credit card statements for jewelry, flowers or gifts are a give away. That is unless you have received the girts yourself. Large sums of money being withdrawn from joint accounts is also suspect. Just be careful when questioning him/her about it as the money may be for something else. Frequent ATM withdrawals are also suspect. Seeing the things listed above doesn't guarantee your spouse is cheating on you, but if you do see them, it's worth following it up. Financial Signs of a Cheating Spouse

Victoria Beckham "I Do Not Know the Sex of My Baby" - Victoria and David Beckham already their hands full with three sons: Brooklyn Joseph, 11, Romeo James, 8, and Cruz David, 5½. Will their fourth child be their latest addition to the boys’ club? “I can go on the record and say contrary to rumors, I do not know the sex of my baby!” the expectant mom, 36, told USA Today at the launch of her latest fashion show in N.Y.C. And despite the likely anticipation over whether the couple will have their first girl, they still haven’t decided whether or not to eventually find out the sex. The fashionista says she and her soccer star husband, 35, simply “feel so lucky and blessed” to be adding on to their family. Plus, there’s the obvious benefit to one more son. “We know what to do with boys,” she quips, adding that Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz are “excited about having a little brother to teach how to play soccer.” Victoria Beckham "I Do Not Know the Sex of My Baby"

Arcade Fire Wins - Arcade Fire captured the album of the year award at Sunday night's Grammy Awards for the "The Suburbs," a surprise win that left Eminem shut out in all the top categories. It was the group's only win of the night; they had been nominated for two other awards. They beat out Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now," Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," "The Fame Monster" by Lady Gaga and Eminem's "Recovery" - 2010's best selling album - to take home the trophy. This is now the third time Eminem has lost the best album trophy. He led all nominees with 10 heading into the night, but won just two awards: best rap album and best rap solo performance. Lady Antebellum took home five awards, including record and song of the year for its crossover smash "Need You Now," during a ceremony short on trophies but heavy on spectacle performances. The night also had a huge upset, as Esperanza Spalding beat...

UK Scouts Royal Kidnap Game - The scouts' annual "quest" in the small English town of Amersham, west of London, last week involved watching an actress playing Kate Middleton being kidnapped by a team of balaclava-clad men, according to a local newspaper. An actor playing Prince William then appealed to the 300 scouts, aged 11 to 13, to help him find his princess. Most of the scouts spent about eight hours hiking around the area looking for clues to the location of the missing Middleton, according to the Buckinghamshire Advertiser. The paper quoted event organizer Brian Shelley as saying he did not see anything inappropriate in the rescue-the-princess-themed outing. "I don't think it was inappropriate," Shelley was quoted as saying. "The scouts loved it and found it very amusing. Nobody raised any concerns on the day, so I'm surprised to hear if there were any." News of the game angered some local councilors and led to national media co...

Christina Aguilera Stumbles Grammy Stage - Christina Aguilera almost pulled off her Grammy appearance without a problem. She opened the Grammy show as part of a group of divas paying tribute to Aretha Franklin. Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams and Florence Welch took turns belting out Franklin hits. Afterward, the Queen of Soul appeared, speaking from her Detroit home, and looked noticeably thinner after being hospitalized late last year with an undisclosed illness. Franklin thanked fans and friends for their support and said, "I wish that I could have been with you all tonight, but since I couldn't -- next year." All seemed well and the crowd gave the ladies a standing ovation. But as they took their bows, Aguilera nearly took a spill! Luckily, she caught herself by holding on to the microphone stand. Christina Aguilera Stumbles Grammy Stage