Technology Slice Blog

Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln - DreamWorks Studios just announced that Daniel Day-Lewis will take on the role of President Abraham Lincoln in the long-in-development biopic to be directed by Steven Spielberg. Lincoln, which playwright Tony Kushner has adapted from the Doris Kearns Goodwin book Team of Rivals, has been on Spielberg's docket for years, with Liam Neeson once attached to star as the 16th president. Kushner also co-wrote Spielberg's Munich, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Kathleen Kennedy and Spielberg are producing the project, which the director will begin filming next fall. “Daniel Day-Lewis would have always been counted as one of the greatest of actors, were he from the silent era, the golden age of film or even some time in cinema's distant future," said Spielberg. "I am grateful and inspired that our paths will finally cross with Lincoln." DreamWorks expects to have the film in theaters late in 2012 through Disney...

Amish Staggering Growth in Midwest - The Amish are one of the fastest-growing religious groups in North America, according to a new census by researchers at Ohio State University. The study, released July 27 at the annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, suggests a new community sprouting every three and a half weeks. Nearly 250,000 Amish live in the U.S. and Canada, and the population is expected to exceed 1 million around 2050. The growth may not be visible outside Amish country, but the rural settlements definitely see the boom. “This place has grown,” said Daniel Miller, 52, who has spent his life on an Amish settlement here. “It’s because all of the kids.” Many Amish families have multiple children, Miller said, adding that those children often stay in the community and eventually sprout families of their own. There are currently 99 church districts, or communities, in Middlefield, which is east of Cleveland in central Northeast Ohio. Miller said he remembers when...

Anna Chlumsky Veep - Twenty-one years after she played an adorable tomboy in the 1991 coming-of-age film, Chlumsky is showing off her more glamorous side. The 31-year-old actress showed up to the New York screening of her new show, HBO's "Veep," on Tuesday wearing a sexy form-fitting Gianni Versace dress (from New York Vintage), smouldering eyes, and a cascade of curls brushed to the side by hair stylist Creighton Bowman. If that wasn't far enough from her breakout role as Vada Sultenfuss in "My Girl," Chlumsky also accessorized with jewelry by House of Lavande and shoes by Walter Steiger. The blond beauty returns to the spotlight in "Veep," portraying the chief of staff to the vice-president of the United State (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). The HBO series is an American version of "The Thick of It," a BBC show that spawned the 2009 film "In the Loop," in which Chlumsky also played a part. Anna Chlumsky Veep

Comedian Gallagher Heart Attack - Prop comic Gallagher, best known for obliterating watermelons with a sledgehammer, suffered a heart attack on Wednesday night. The 65-year-old was taken by ambulance to a hospital after he complained of having chest pains. Gallagher's manager, Craig Marquado, spoke with CBS 11 of Dallas. Marquado said Gallagher is having "very serious issues with his heart." He expected his client to be in the hospital for an extended period. According to various sources, including TMZ, Gallagher (real name: Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.) was in a Texas bar when he suddenly collapsed. He was set to perform later that night. This isn't Gallagher's first heart attack. He suffered a minor one onstage last year while performing in Minnesota. Though he was arguably most famous during the '80s, Gallagher remains a well-known comedian. In the '90s, Gallagher's younger brother, Ron Gallagher, began impersonating his big bro and performed a sim...

Kim Dotcom Appeal - Alleged internet pirate Kim Dotcom will appeal today's decision denying him bail, his lawyer says. Dotcom, a German millionaire and founder of file-sharing site Megaupload, was arrested on Friday on behalf of United States authorities, including the FBI, in a police raid at his $30m Coatesville mansion. US authorities were now seeking his extradition. They alleged Dotcom's company breached copyright laws costing copyright owners more than US$500m in what they call the "Mega Conspiracy". The 38-year-old, who was previously convicted of hacking and insider trading, has denied any wrongdoing. Dotcom was today remanded in custody, with judge David McNaughton saying he posed a "significant" flight risk. He will be held until February 22, when extradition papers are expected to be filed. However Dotcom's lawyer, Paul Davison, QC, said that decision would be appealed to the High Court. Davison spoke of the disappointment at the deci...

Ohio School Shooting - Authorities said a teen gunman opened fire inside the school cafeteria around 7:30 a.m., fatally wounding one student and seriously injuring four others. The suspect was taken into custody near his car a half-mile from the Cleveland-area school of 1,100 students. Heather Ziska, 17, said she was in the cafeteria when she heard popping noises in the hall. She said she saw a boy she recognized as a fellow student enter the cafeteria and start shooting. "Everybody just started running," said 17-year-old Megan Hennessy, who was in class when she heard loud noises. Hiding in classrooms, frightened students spent more than an hour trying to communicate with the outside world and get reliable information, said senior Matt Goergen, 17, who was in first-period English class when the school went into lockdown. Many in the room didn't believe there was a shooting until "a girl sitting next to me got a call from her dad saying it was real," he said...

Uma Thurman Expecting - Uma Thurman is pregnant with her third child. The 41-year-old actress is expecting with her businessman boyfriend Arpad Busson. The actress's manager Jason Weinberg confirmed the news exclusively to MailOnline. The Kill Bill star already has two children - Maya, 13, and 10-year-old Levon - with her ex-husband Ethan Hawke. Busson also has two children, Arpad Flynn Alexander Busson and Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson, with former girlfriend Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson. Earlier this month, the blonde beauty was spotted wearing baggy clothes and crossing her arms over her stomach in the front row of the Tommy Hilfiger show during New York Fashion Week. The actress, who is known for her fondness of elegant fitted gowns, was wearing a loose navy outfit and matching coat. Before her front row appearance she was also seen on set of the new drama series Smash. Uma looked striking in a pink Hindu-inspired outfit as she filmed scenes for the NBC musical sh...

Victoria Beckham and Miserable Image - There has been speculation around recently that Victoria Beckham is looking so bad she looks absolutely miserable. I think the speculation is right. Recent photos of Victoria show dark circles around her eyes which doesn't really compliment her gaunt figure. She looks starved and exhausted leading to the recent speculation. She has come out swinging at her critics insisting she really isn't miserable and it is something that was fabricated by journalists. Victoria Beckham and Miserable Image

Tom Hanks Rita Wilson Married 23 Years - In a town where marriages rarely make it past the one-year mark, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are one of those couples that make celebrity marriages seem pretty awesome. They’ve been married for over 23 years now--which is like 5 lifetimes in Hollywood--and admit they fall more in love with each other every day. So what’s their secret to maintaining such a long, healthy relationship in this town? "We want to be married to each other,” Rita confessed to Hollyscoop at the Larry Crowne movie premiere in Hollywood. She added, “I think that's very, very important [to want to be married]. You got to want to be married to the person you're married to. We still like each other a lot." Tom was previously married to Samantha Lewes in 1978 but began an affair with future wife Rita Wilson while they were filming Volunteers. He recently admitted he wasn’t proud of the affair, but couldn’t deny the chemistry he had with Rita. He told GQ m...

Dolly Parton Whitney Houston - Dolly Parton paid tribute to Whitney Houston, the deceased pop diva who catapulted her song “I Will Always Love You” to a global phenomenon, by citing the ballad they both made famous. “Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston,” Parton said in a statement Saturday. “I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song, and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.’” Houston died Saturday at the age of 48. The singer had a well-chronicled struggle with substance abuse and drugs. Also read: Whitney Houston Dead at 48 Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” in 1973. The song chronicled her split with her collaborator Porter Wagoner. The country star’s version rose to first place on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and was later re-recorded for the soundtrack of her film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” However, it took ...

Bon Iver Best New Artist - Like Arcade Fire's surprise Album of the Year win at last year's Grammys, Bon Iver taking home Best New Artist on Sunday night (February 12) over more established artists like Nicki Minaj was bound to raise a few eyebrows. When you asked "Who are Arcade Fire?" in 2012, we had you covered, and we've been following Wisconsin singer Justin Vernon (the man behind Bon Iver) for quite some time — long before he snagged BNA and Best Alternative Album at this year's ceremony. Quite the pleasant surprise for the under-the-radar folk singer, who recently became the face of a Bushmills whiskey ad to boot. Bon Iver's second, self-titled disc was released in early 2011 but is still clearly getting the attention it deserves. He may have made a few public derogatory comments about the Grammy Awards ceremony itself, but that didn't sway the voters or the singer from showing up. To put his "underground" status into perspective: ...

Whitneys Mother Cissy - Whitney Houston's mother, Cissy Houston has expressed her devastation at the loss of her daughter, who died Saturday afternoon as she was preparing to attend a pre-Grammy Awards party in California. She described the death of her daughter as an "unimaginable tragedy." "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney," the gospel singer said in a statement according to OnTheRedCarpet.com. "This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends." The 78-year-old mother has reported that she talked to her daughter just half an hour before she was found unconscious in a hotel room bath tub. It has also been reported that Houston talked to her cousin Dionne Warwick just several hours earlier to confirm seating arrangements at that evening's party, according to TMZ. However, it was to be a party that Houston would never attend, and the pop ...

Police Pursuit Ends with Car on Sleeping Man - A Connecticut man woke up to a real-life nightmare early Tuesday morning when a car police were pursuing slammed into his apartment while he was sleeping and landed on top of him. Just after 12:30 a.m., Hamden Police spotted a BMW wanted for motor vehicle violations and attempted to stop the driver. Police pursued the car from Hamden to New Haven, through the Southern Connecticut State University campus and into the Newhallville section of New Haven. Hamden Police made several attempts to stop the fleeing BMW, police said, but the driver lost control, crashed through a first-floor apartment at 91 Winchester Ave. and fled. Michael Sweat, 34, a tenant, was trapped beneath the car for more than an hour as rescuers attempted to free him. Sweat was taken to the Hospital of St. Raphael with second- and third-degree burns to his lower body and is expected to recover. New Haven police were not involved in the pursuit, but are searching for ...

Birth Control Recall - Dr. Ranit Mishori, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at Georgetown University, said today that patients should ask for an alternate product and use an additional means of contraception. "They may want to get a pregnancy test [as well]," said Mishori, adding that she did not prescribe Qualitest products. The voluntary recall affects eight kinds of birth-control pills -- including a variety of generic brands such as Cyclafem, Emoquette, Gildess, Orsythia, Previfem and Tri-Previfem -- and an estimated 1.4 million packs of pills that started getting shipped out last year. Qualitest said the error caused the weekly tablet orientation to be reversed and obscured the pills' lot numbers and expiration dates on certain packages. None of the recalled pills has expired. Qualitest: 2% of Oral Contraceptive Market Qualitest accounted for about 2 percent of the oral contraceptive market, a spokesman for the Huntsville, Ala., compa...

Egypt Soccer Riot - A Wednesday game of soccer in Port Said, Egypt resulted in a riot between two rival team fan groups. At the time, another game beginning in Cairo was halted after fans started an in-stadium fire. Surprised? Of course not! Violence and soccer games go together like grass and cleats. This riot proved to be different than what we expect, however, with a body count that continues to grow throughout the day. The Feb. 1 game was between the Al-Ahly team and Al-Masry team. Al-Masry, the home team, won 3-1. The gates separating the team and fans were either open or broken, allowing a flood of people onto the field just after the final whistle. The riot began and quickly escalated. The majority of the fighting occurred in the Port Said stadium. Injuries range from concussions to lacerations. Several armed robberies and fires were also reported. As of 3 p.m. on Feb. 1, the body count was up to 73 dead and 180 injured in the massive brawl. Security officers are said to be a...

Katy Perry Russell Brand Twitter - Katy Perry is ridding her life of updates about her soon-to-be ex-husband Russell Brand. The singer has officially unfollowed Brand on Twitter. Despite Perry's actions, the British comedian still follows her on the social networking site, as of now. Sources tell Us Weekly that the "Firework" singer is trying to lessen her interactions with Brand, which obviously included no longer getting his status updates on Twitter. Brand filed for divorce from Perry after 14 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Since the filing Perry has been keeping busy. The pop-singer recently shot an ad for Adidas and performed in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, according to Us Weekly. Katy Perry Russell Brand Twitter

Kodak Files for Bankruptcy - Eastman Kodak, the once mighty icon of the photography industry, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday. Kodak's stock plunged 35% at the start of trading. The New York Stock Exchange suspended trading within a few minutes after the opening bell. The company said it has obtained $950 million in financing from Citibank to maintain operations. The company said the credit facility is still subject to court approval. Kodak said it has enough liquidity to continue operating during the bankruptcy process. Kodak acknowledged, in its Chapter 11 filing, that it had more than 100,000 creditors, with debts totaling $6.75 billion. Kodak company also said that it had assets of $5.1 billion, with properties in Rochester, N.Y., Windsor, Colo. and Weatherford, Okla. Kodak's top creditor is the Bank of New York Mellon (BK, Fortune 500) in its role as trustee for other bondholders, with claims of more than $650 million. Other creditors include So...

Keystone Pipeline Gets Rejected - President Barack Obama on Wednesday rejected plans for a massive oil pipeline through the heart of the United States, ruling there was not enough time for a fair review before a looming deadline forced on him by Republicans. His move did not kill the project but could again delay a tough choice for him until after the November elections. Right away, the implications rippled across the political spectrum, stirred up the presidential campaign and even hardened feelings with Canada, a trusted U.S. ally and neighbor. For a U.S. electorate eager for work, the pipeline has become the very symbol of job creation for Republicans, but Obama says the environment and public safety must still be weighed too. What the Keystone XL pipeline would mean for the US The plan by Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. would carry tar sands oil from western Canada across a 1,700-mile (2,735-kilometer) pipeline across six U.S. states to Texas refineries. Obama was already on ...

Gabrielle Union Celebrates Birthday - The Miami Heat All-Star's girlfriend threw him a huge birthday bash to celebrate his 30th at the Setai Hotel in South Beach. Usher, T.I, Rick Ross, Common, Kelly Rowland, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning and Pat Riley joined the party with special celebrity performances. The night culminated with Rowland serenading D-Wade with a seductive "Happy Birthday," the Huffington Post reports. In addition to the hot birthday bash, D-Wade was given a $230,000 2012 McLaren MP4-12C from a local car dealership as well as a vintage 1982 bottle of Dom Perignon and a diamond-encrusted Hublot 3000 watch. All for free. Sports fans may wonder how D-Wade has lucked out with a lavish party and extravagant gifts to embrace his 30s. But, who is his girlfriend, Gabrielle Union? Union, 39, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as the lead cheerleader opposite Kirsten Dunst in "Bring It On." Un...

Drug Resistant TB - At least a dozen people in India are infected with a type of tuberculosis that is resistant to all antibiotics used to treat the disease. In December, the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases published an online report that documented four of the cases. This weekend, news outlets in India reported that there were actually at least 12 people with the drug-resistant lung disease. Officials fear that what they've seen so far is just the beginning, and that many more cases are lurking undetected. "It's estimated that on average, a tuberculosis patient infects 10 to 20 contacts in a year, and there's no reason to suspect that this strain is any less transmissible," study co-author Zarir Udwadia of the Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mumbai told New Scientist. "Short of quarantining them in hospitals with isolation facilities till they become non-infectious – which is not practical or possible – there is nothing else...

Tissue Holder Recall - A metal tissue holder is being recalled by Bed, Bath & Beyond because it may contain radioactive material. The Dual Ridge Metal boutique tissue holder, with the UPC number 8476820004980, was sold in more than 20 states, including California, and online since July 2011. Officials say the recalled product contains man-made cobalt-60, which is used in medical devices and industrial applications. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says there's no real threat to anyone's health, but that it's better to avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. The NRC also says that the material is believed to be in the tissue holder itself and cannot be inhaled nor can it contaminate other objects, such as tissues. Bed, Bath & Beyond has pulled the tissue holders off store shelves and removed them from its website. The company is asking customers to return the tissue holders to any Bed, Bath & Beyond store for a full refund. Customers with questions can con...

Was Zappos Hacked? - Online shoe store Zappos has been hacked, exposing the names, e-mail addresses, addresses, phone numbers and partial credit card numbers of its 24 million customers, the company said late Sunday night. Citing an "illegal and unauthorized access" to customer account information, the company reset its customers' passwords. Zappos then urged customers to change their login credentials on any other sites, for which they use the same password and username. Zappos said customers' passwords were exposed in the hack, but the online retailer insisted that they were encoded and that attackers had no access to customers' actual passwords. Resetting its users' passwords was just an added precaution, since its highly unlikely the hackers will be able -- or would take the time -- to unlock the encryption. Customers of Zappos' discount shoe store 6pm.com were also affected, and their passwords were reset as well. The "better news" was...

Madonna Elton John Feud - There was plenty of drama at the post-awards parties for the Golden Globes. While Madonna publicly laughed it off, it’s clear Elton John and his spouse David Furnish were furious about the Material Mom beating out Sir Elton for best film song on Sunday. Furnish posted an angry note on Facebook (“Madonna. Best Song? F--- off!”) and the two men continued to harp at post-Globes parties about both the award and Madonna’s acceptance speech, which they called self-indulgent. John was especially angry Madonna admitted that the song was very much an afterthought, added only after the movie was basically finished. The two superstars have long had a testy relationship. The feud started years ago, when John snipped about Madonna being merely a “lip-syncher.” Backstage Sunday, Madonna told the press she hopes John “speaks to me for the next couple of years. He’s been known to get mad at me, so I don’t know. He’s brilliant, and I adore him, so he’ll win another award....

Red Cross Gets Fines - Federal health officials have fined the American Red Cross nearly $9.6 million for sloppy and unsafe blood management practices, the second multi-million-dollar penalty levied against the agency in the last two years. The new Food and Drug Administration fine follows inspections at 16 Red Cross blood centers between April and October 2010 that revealed ongoing problems that appeared to endanger donors and to allow potentially contaminated blood into the nation’s supply. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency found no evidence of actual harm to blood recipients and that officials remain confident about sources of blood in the U.S. “FDA cannot definitively say there was never any danger to the blood supply since the violations can create conditions that could lead to potential safety consequences,” said El-Hinnawy. The violations were outlined in a 32-page letter sent Jan. 13 to J. Chris Hrouda, executive vice president of Biomedical Services for the Red Cross. T...

Clay Aiken Plastic Surgery? - “American Idol” finalist Clay Aiken returns to reality TV next month on “The Celebrity Apprentice”… and he looks a little different than the last time we saw him. We can’t tell whether it’s the much-rumored plastic surgery, the nearly transparent facial hair, or just a case of Photoshop run amok. But even the craziest Claymates might have trouble recognizing their favorite “Idol” here. You can see for yourself when “Apprentice” returns on NBC February 12 — and click through to see the rest of the new season’s famous contestants.

Bob Anderson Sword Master Movies Passes Away - Olympic fencer and movie sword master Bob Anderson appeared in some of film's most famous dueling scenes — though few viewers knew it. Anderson, who has died at age 89, donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in two of the three original "Star Wars" films, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." Anderson, who worked with actors from Errol Flynn to Antonio Banderas during five decades as a sword master, fight director and stunt performer, died early New Year's Day at an English hospital, the British Academy of Fencing said Monday. Vader, "Star Wars'" intergalactic arch-villain, was voiced by James Earl Jones and played by six foot six (1.98 meter) former weightlifter David Prowse, but Anderson stepped in during the key fight scenes. Bob Anderson Sword Master Movies Passes Away