10 of Hollywood's Tech Savvy Stars

Forbes.com, One of the best websites I usually check every time I need an updated list. I might say that they have been in my top 100 best websites I trusted and today I would like to share some post from them.

Most of us love gadgets and technology is our friend. From Teeny to Gramps, people can't deny the effect that this modernized civilization offers - not even star or celebrity. Tomio Geron (Forbes Social Markets) shared to us a list of Hollywood tech savvy stars.

Tomio quoted "Celebrities from Hollywood, music or the sports world seem to have a fascination with Silicon Valley and tech start-ups. Whether it’s the inner gadget geek, the urge to start a company, an interest in a quick-flip investment, a hope to be an hip early adopter, or just an interest in schmoozing with the next Ev Williams, celebrities seem to have a strong attraction to tech. Some like to show up at industry conferences, others invest in companies, while others just like to sign up for new web sites to boost their geek cred."

So here are the list of Top 10 Hollywood's tech savvy stars.

1 - Ashton Kutcher

He is better known for his acting career. But he has invested in tech companies including Skype, Airbnb, Likealittle and Milk. He recently started a tech investing fund called A Grade with Ron Burkle and Gary Oseary. Kutcher recently attended a Demo Day for incubator Y Combinator in Mountain View, Calif., drawing a crowd of wide-eyed entrepreneurs eager to talk to him.

2 - MC Hammer

MC Hammer, a.k.a. rapper Stanley Kirk Burrell has been a frequent guest at tech events in Silicon Valley with the likes of Ron Conway. Hammer also was an advisor to start-up DanceJam.com. Hammer here is seated with Conway in the audience during a town hall meeting with President Barack Obama, Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

3 - Chamillionaire

He has become a regular at Silicon Valley tech conferences, where he says he wants to learn more about how new technology can affect the music industry. Most recently he attended the July 29 TechCrunch Crunchup at AOL in Palo Alto, Calif. He also has been a judge at a TechCrunch start-up conference.

4 - Tim Ferris

Bestselling author Tim Ferris (The 4-Hour Workweek) has also been an active angel investor in tech start-ups. His investments include Twitter, Reputation.com, DailyBurn and SimpleGeo. He's also an advisor for companies including Evernote, StumbleUpon and Uber.

5 - Kim Kardashian

She is a co-founder of online subscription shoe company ShoeDazzle.com, which has reportedly raised $60 million in total venture financing. The founder of the company is Brian Lee, a serial entrepreneur whose first company, LegalZoom is expected to go public soon.

6 - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake is an investor in companies including Stipple, a photo advertising start-up, and Miso Media, a music education start-up.

7 - Curt Schilling

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is a founder of gaming start-up 38 Studios.

8 - Will.i.am

Will. i.am of the Black Eyed Peas in January was named director of creative innovation at chip giant Intel. (What that means exactly is unclear.) His geek cred was solidified in December 2010 when he wrote and performed a song about cloud computing for Salesforce.com at CEO Marc Benioff's keynote.

9 - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga invested in Backplane, a social networking start-up, along with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's Tomorrow Ventures.

10 - Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal joined Twitter in November 2008 and helped draw mainstream users to the service. He also used web video service 12seconds.tv, drawing massive traffic to that website. He still records spots regularly on video iPhone app Tout.

• Reference/Source: Forbes.com by Tomio Geron (Social Markets) [08/05/2011]

About

Forbes.com



Forbes.com Inc. is a leading Internet media company providing business information services and lifestyle editorial content designed to serve the needs of business leaders, professionals, investors and affluent consumers. The Forbes.com Web site, located at http://www.forbes.com, is focused on the theme of wealth -- how it is created, how it is managed and how it can be enjoyed. The site includes daily original reporting on the business of technology; real- time business information news updates; the complete online editions of Forbes magazine, Forbes Global, Forbes ASAP and Forbes FYI; a powerful search engine with access to all current and archived Forbes content; stock and mutual fund stock quotes, and comprehensive company profiles; an expanded online version of the Forbes.com Best of The Web guide; and a wide array of interactive tools, calculators and databases, including the annual Forbes Lists.

About Tomio Geron, Author



He cover the social web/social networking, start-ups and various other Silicon Valley topics from San Francisco. He was previously a reporter for Dow Jones VentureWire, where he covered venture capital and Internet start-up companies, from search engines to seed investing to special purpose vehicles. He also previously worked for Red Herring, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and other outlets. In a previous life he was a web developer. Follow Tomio on Twitter: @tomiogeron.

10 of the Best Movie Soundtracks Better than the films they represent

My very good friend, Jay of ComicBookAndMovieReviews.com shared to me this MTV's list(Originally exempt from 15 Movie Soundtracks Better Than The Movies They're For) of movie soundtracks that is better than the movies they represents. This seems a very good list to add on our collection.

MTV's Clutch Staff quoted " Soundtracks are an overlooked yet important factor in the movie-watching experience. Far more interesting, though, is when a solid soundtrack is paired with a steaming pile. When this happens, the music becomes one of two things: a show-stealer, outshining the very movie it's featured in; or a trickster, fooling people into believing the movie is a classic."

So here's 10 of the Best Movie Soundtracks Better than the films they represent.

1 - Garden State, 2004

Category: trickster

The breakthrough indie songs from the likes of The Shins, Frou Frou and Thievery Corporation were good enough to distract viewers from the fact that the film was a gloppy intravenous drip of sad giggles and unabashed Natalie Portman idolatry. Zack Braff: curator of indie, purveyor of twee, voice of toilet paper-using puppy.

2 - The Twilight Saga, 2008-2012

Category: show-stealer

The trilogy's track list boasts a roster of heavyweights--Muse, Thom Yorke and Vampire Weekend--and reads like a fantasy music draft between the editor of Pitchfork and the founder of Emo Weekly. The film itself appeals only to the latter.

3 - Boiler Room, 2000

Category: show-stealer

The film's high-rolling hustlers are set to the sounds of raw hip-hop from some of New York's best MC's: Biggie, Rakim, De La Soul and a still-underground 50 Cent. Clearly an attempt to draw a profound parallel between Wall Street and rap's paper-chasers, the juxtaposition only served to make the Wall Street meatheads playing with Monopoly money seem even more outlandish.

4 - Vanilla Sky, 2001

Category: trickster

This movie is always in the HBO cycle because of Tom Cruise's particularly Tom Cruise-y performance, the Penelope Cruz nip shots, and the incredibly eclectic soundtrack featuring classics from Bob Dylan and Peter Gabriel, as well as somber cuts from Radiohead and R.E.M. Fortunately, this all diverts your attention from the nonsensical plot (I mean, really, why would you set your splice point for AFTER the disfiguring car wreck?). Although, maybe that's why it's nonsensical in the first place.

5 - Hot Rod, 2007

Category: show-stealer

When a movie is utterly dumb, it can be painful. But when music is utterly dumb, it can be a blast (see: Ke$ha). This dumb comedy celebrates some of the best dumb, montage-ready songs of the '80s, including forgotten gems like "Two Of Hearts" and "You're The Voice," plus four Europe songs. Is it absurd to include four Europe songs? Of course. Which is exactly why it works.

6 - Above The Rim, 1994

Category: show-stealer

One of a multitude of forgettable sports flicks, except it has arguably the best hip-hop soundtrack of all time: Dr. Dre in the studio, 2Pac's first go-round with Death Row, Snoop Dogg and, oh, maybe you've heard of a little ditty called "Regulate." If aliens wanted to know what West Coast rap sounded like in the early '90s (these aliens are incredibly curious about incredibly specific topics), you'd hand them this album.

7 - Good Will Hunting, 1997

Category: trickster

Now that we're well past the 10-year statute of limitations, can we all finally admit this movie was an overrated fluke? No? Well, let's at least agree that the aching Elliott Smith-centric soundtrack still holds up. The album also contains Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street," which is the melted Velveeta of songs: unnaturally smooth and cheesy, but undeniably appealing.

8 - Idlewild, 2006

Category: show-stealer

You know what they say: A bloated album from Outkast is better than a fine-tuned effort from anyone else. Highlights include "Mighty O," "N2U," "Morris Brown" and "Call The Law" featuring Janelle Monae. Andre 3000 and Big Boi can do no wrong (cinematic endeavors notwithstanding).

9 - 21, 2008

Category: show-stealer

A murderer's row of late-aughts hit-makers: Rihanna, LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, Mark Ronson, Peter Bjorn and John. We'll just pretend that remix of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" didn't happen (which is also what Kevin Spacey does with this movie).

10 - RocknRolla, 2008

Category: show-stealer

All of Guy Ritchie's crime capers are injected with a rollicking mix of songs. But this is the first collection to surpass the film, thanks to stompers from The Hives, The Clash, Wanda Jackson and a few gritty blues covers.

Suggestion: Regardless of the category, be sure to erase this on your Netflix queue files and go straight to iTunes instead.

• Reference/Source: MTV.com by Clutch Staff (Movies, Music)

10 of the Greatest Movie Franchises of All Time

A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media (usually a work of fiction), such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements. Multiple sequels are often planned well in advance, and (in the case of motion pictures) actors and directors often sign multi-film deals to ensure their participation.

According to TheAtlantic.com, Here's the Top 10 of the Greatest Movie Franchises of All Time.

1 - INDIANA JONES

Box Office Rank: 4
Critics' Score Rank: 3

Harrison Ford was 65 years old when he picked up the trademark Indy fedora and whip for a fourth time in 2008. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was the year's third-highest grossing film, proving that Ford—and Jones—hadn't missed a beat.

2 - TOY STORY

Box Office Rank: 7
Critics' Rank: 1

The third installment of the franchise could be the first animated film to ever win the Best Picture Oscar.

3 - SPIDER-MAN

Box Office Rank: 2
Critics' Rank: 7

The Social Network's Andrew Garfield was recently cast in director Mark Webb's upcoming 2012 reboot of the franchise, which will center on Peter Parker as a teenager.

4 - STAR WARS

Box Office Rank: 1
Critics' Rank: 8

George Lucas's iconic series had the highest average-gross of all film franchises, nearly double its closest competition, the Spider-man series.

5 - LORD OF THE RINGS

Box Office Rank: 5
Critics' Rank: 6

Eight years after the final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy hit theaters, director Peter Jackson is back in production on a film adaptation of The Hobbit.

6 - THE GODFATHER

Box Office Rank: 11
Critics' Rank: 2

The Godfather is the only franchise to have two installments win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and The Godfather: Part II is the first sequel to ever win the top Oscar.

7 - HARRY POTTER

Box Office Rank: 10
Critics' Rank: 5

The latest Harry Potter film hit theaters Thursday at midnight, with insiders already bracing for a record weekend of box office gross.

8 - SHREK

Box Office Rank: 6
Critics' Rank: 17

Not only have the Shrek films been box-office successes, but the franchise has spawned regular holiday-themed specials that have become ratings smashes for ABC and NBC.

9 - BACK TO THE FUTURE

Box Office Rank: 15
Critics' Rank: 9

Fans celebrated the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future's original theatrical run with a commemorative DVD release, a special theatrical run, and numerous homages to its legacy.

10 - JURASSIC PARK

Box Office Rank: 3
Critics' Rank: 26

Steven Spielberg's pioneering computer-generated imagery made the original Jurassic Park a theatrical event. Seventeen years later, there's rumors of another Jurassic trilogy.

• Reference/Source: TheAtlantic.com
• Reference/Source: Wikipedia.com

10 of the Best Hollywood Movies in 2010

If you are looking for top movies you are sure to come across Another Year in your searches.

This is one of those movies that seems to be about ordinary people and ordinary lives but demonstrates how no one’s life is really ordinary. It is gentle and sweet yet it is so much more than just a feel good movie. The focus of the movie is an older couple that is looking forward to retirement and enjoying their empty nest.

Over the course of the movies, several interesting characters drift in and out, like Ken, the alcoholic friend of Tom and Mary, the divorcee that seems fine on the outside but on the inside is totally dependent on others. This is one of the best movies of the year and you’ll surely agree when you’ve seen it for yourself.

Here's our top 10 of the Best Hollywood Movies in 2010 that I enjoyed watching.

1 - Inception

"In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception."

No other movie deserves the top spot. Christopher Nolan turned out one of the best of all time. The mystery and sci-fi were so well tied in that the audience came back to the theaters for more and more. The phenomenal star cats and super talented director made the movie number one.

2 - Iron Man 2

"Because of his superhero alter ego, Tony Stark must contend with deadly issues involving the government, his own friends and new enemies."

Robert Downey Jr. provides another great performance in a role that seems to be tailor made for him. The sequel was bigger than the original and with the angry Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson in the fray this one got even better.

3 - Toy Story 3

"The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home."

The heartwarming adventures of the toys continued to win over parents and kids alike. Every sequel of the movie continues to be better than the previous one and his one was no exception. An instant classic!

4 - Tron Legacy

"The son of a virtual world designer goes looking for his father and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's creation turned bad and a unique ally who was born inside the digital domain of The Grid."

Tron was ahead of its time. 2010 was the correct year. Combine the vision, superior GFX and heightened fanboy expectations with the amazing Daft Punk score and you have a winner.

5 - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

"Scott Pilgrim must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes in order to win her heart."

The movie was based on one of the best Indie comics of all times and did not disappoint. It was a great mix of love, action, oddity and bizarre sequences. Michael Cera absolutely nailed this one.

6 - The Expendables

"A team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator."

An explosive star cast consisting of Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Add in a cameo by Bruce Willis. Action fans were crawling on their knees for this one. They were getting spoilt rotten.

7 - Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood

"In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power."

The man behind classics such as Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator returned to the screen with Robin Hood. His favorite star Russell Crowe also joins in to create a saga of the enigmatic legend of Robin Hood. It was a memorable take on Robin Hood.

8 - Alice in Wonderland

"19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror."

Tim Burrton’s Alice in Wonderland looked out of the world and stunning. Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter put in great performances to make the movie one of the best of 2010.

9 - Clash of the Titans

"The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens."

The classic sword and sandal classic flick was remade using modern CGI. The director did a fantastic job of creating the underworld and the heavens while the newcomers Sam Worthington and Gemma Arterton made the roles of Perseus and Io believable.

10 - The Social Network

"A chronicle of the founding of Facebook, the social-networking Web site."

The gripping tale of how the most dominant social network came into being makes for a riveting and engaging watch. The focus on ideas, feelings and people made this one memorable.

• Reference/Source: Islandcrisis.net [2011-01-15]

10 Worst Caught Movie Mistakes

Do you love to watch movies? Are you one of the millions of avid movie lovers all over the world? Watching movies is a favorite form of relaxation for many people. A lot of people see their lives unfold in the movie screen.

People watch movies to relieve tension or to feel good. Watching movies is one of the most favorite hobbies for many people. The film industry is undoubtedly a very huge industry composed of film makers, actors, production crew, directors, writers, production companies, and more. Each year, billions of money is spent to produce movies. A highly budgeted film can cost as much as $500 billion dollars. Such budget may or may not provide a good return of investment. There is so much money involved in making a movie. However, movie mistakes are still possible even in those over the top budget movies.

Are you keen and quick enough to notice movie mistakes unfold before your eyes? Most often we do not see these mistakes while we watch a movie. However, many movies do have a lot of flaws which only the most discriminating eye can detect.

These movie mistakes are what we more commonly know as bloopers or movie goofs. Some of the most common movie mistakes are continuity errors. These are lapses in the continuity of the film. Production props which show inconsistency as the movie progresses, differences in shadows direction and length, or self replenishing glass of water are just some of the most common continuity mistakes in film making. Other more severe movie mistakes are the appearance of movie crew in the film and in some movies the inclusion of the boom microphone in the frame.

Here's my Top 10 list of Movie Mistakes:

10 - The Unusual Suspects Movie

The plane loses two engine from a new angle/shot. This is really bad in terms of continuity, both says that we are two different airplanes.

9 - The Unusual Suspects Movie

Gun shot or smash mark moves. This can be tricky and acceptable if the camera is moving so fast.

8 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Real hair visible under blonde wig. Acceptable, we assumed we didn't see it and the angle shot is too fast to be recognize.

7 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter instantly switches sides.

6 - Titanic

Various bits disappear. Continuity problems specially in visual effects.

5 - Swordfish

Car's headrest moves itself. Hah! this is really an obvious one in terms of slow frames.

4 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Head split before being shot. Acceptable for fast frames.

3 - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Car's windscreen disappears.

2 - On Brad Pits Movie

Airplanes on the view at ancient times. Wow, the portrayed character thinks he's already dead by seeing that.

1 - Twilight

Edward Cullen Jacket's Paulette buttons itself. It's very obvious specially in this scene at slow shot/frame. You could actually see it at once.

Despite of all the mistakes movies get popularity. Mistakes can be ignored due to the fact that, producing a movie requires lot of coordination among script, characters, crews, directors, cameraman etc, but one thing is clear that even a big production movie can have mistakes.

• Reference/Source: smilepanic.com