#GRAMMYs: Lady Gaga Announces Duet With Tony Bennett

Mother monster Lady Gaga has revealed that she will be performing with Tony Bennett at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8th in Los Angeles.

Gaga who revealed this information via Twitter posted a picture of her and Bennett with the following caption:

“I’m humbled to be nominated & performing @TheGRAMMYs w an incredible man. Honoring a legend, I stand proudly behind him.”

I’m humbled to be nominated&performing @TheGRAMMYs w an incredible man. Honoring a legend, I stand proudly behind him pic.twitter.com/FclPgIiD7H

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 28, 2015

Gaga and Bennett’s duet album, “Cheek to Cheek,” is nominated for best traditional pop vocal album, where their competition includes Annie Lennox and Barry Manilow. Beyonce, Pharrell and Sam Smith are the Grammy leaders with six nominations each. They will all compete for the top prize, album of the year, along with Ed Sheeran and Beck.

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards will be hosted by LL Cool J and Pharrell, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, AC/DC, Usher and John Legend are among the other performers announced so far.


(UPDATE) #iKON: YG’s CEO Teases New Boy Group’s Debut MV On Instagram

After what seemed like an eternity, we have finally some updates on the debut of YG Entertainment‘s upcoming idol boy group, iKON.

The company’s CEO, Yang Hyun Suk, recently took to his personal Instagram account to share a short video clip that came with the caption:

fromyg #iKON #firstMV #debut #comingsoon #nowshooting.

Fans immediately lost it because as seen in the video, the members are currently shooting their debut music video, which also indicates that their debut is drawing closer.

iKON’s debut is highly anticipated by fans as the group was supposed to have debuted earlier in January 2015. However, it was delayed. It was later revealed in June 2015 that the group will eventually make their debut after their senior label mates BIGBANG wraps up their “MADE” series promotions.

Now, the above Instagram post as the definitive proof, we can finally confirm that the group will indeed debut soon. This came after YangHyun Suk himself confirmed in an interview with OSEN that iKON’s debut date is set for 15th September. He explained that iKON was only forced to adjust their debut schedule to avoid the overlap with BIGBANG’s monthly releases for their “MADE” album.

Some insiders also revealed that iKON already “made over 50 songs in preparation for their official debut”, but we are unsure how many songs will eventually be featured in the debut album.

YG’s CEO Yang HyunSuk has posted another teaser image to hint at iKON’s highly anticipated debut. The words “Get Ready?” and “Season Schedule Announcement 09.08.11am” are shown on the image, signifying that a huge announcement will be made at 11am (South Korean time) today.

We thought that this day would never come. We almost had to pinch ourselves because iKON will finally be debuting on schedule.

According to a new poster just released by YG Entertainment, the boys will be releasing their debut single on 15th September, followed by a half album release on 1st October, and finally a full album released on 2nd November. After all, having waited for so long, one can never have too much of iKON ;)

Are you ready for iKON’s debut? Because we are ;)

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#Instagram: Hashtags Not Working? It Could Be Because Of A New Restriction

Popular photo-sharing social platform Instagram is on a roll these days. In fact, in the past few months, they’ve been busy tweaking the app in order to keep up with the ever-changing times and needs of their legion of users.

For example, in November 2014, they rolled out their editing feature, something that everybody who’s anybody who has Instagram has been begging for. Then, a month later, they added 5 new filters for still images, a smart move since they’ve been up against other photo filter apps such as VSCO Cam. After which, came the addition of 2 new tools, “Fade” and “Color”, which inadvertently gave VSCO Cam a run for their money.

Sounds like Instagram has been having a ball of a time pleasing their users!

But wait, there was this other thing that successfully pissed Instagram users from around the globe. Yes, in case you’ve forgotten, there was that massive purge in December 2014 which removed spam and fake accounts from the platform’s user database and it resulted in some users losing what they thought were “real” followers.

Some lost tens of thousands, even. Gasp!

Let’s also not forget that Instagram has an ever-growing list of banned #hashtags which blocks a whole bunch of searches from its users. We know, we know, hashtagging allows you to be part of a community, making posts discoverable, encouraging likes and engagement and all that jazz. But searches like #proanorexia and #thinspiration have been blocked to protect users, as well as searches on hashtags that may contain pornographic content such as #porn and #ass.

However, funnily, the banned list of hashtags also includes seemingly harmless hashtags such as #photography, #iphone, and #instagram. Or even something as harmless as #ilovemyinstagram. That, and while you’re free to add any hashtags or any combinations of hashtags (as long as they’re below 30 per Instagram post), it doesn’t mean that these hashtags register on the search, and all is takes is one banned hashtag to ruin your entire block of hashtags. True story!

See the full list of banned hashtags here.

Now, it seems like Instagram has further tightened up their hashtag search with more restrictions.

See, up until 2 or 3 weeks ago, you could post 30 hashtags on a picture (because that is the limit) and when the likes stop coming in, post another 30 hashtags (of different keywords/variations) to get more likes and engagement. Sadly, for some, that has all changed and they might’ve noticed that the hashtagging system is, like, behaving like it’s broken.

So the question is, is it really broken? Is it an Instagram server problem?

Instagram has quietly and unceremoniously tweaked it to work in such a way that when you re-hashtag a post, it goes back to the date and time that it was originally uploaded. Which means, photos as well as videos will appear on hashtag pages in the order that they were posted. If you add a hashtag to a photo after it was posted, the photo will still appear on the hashtag page according to the time it was originally posted, not the time the hashtag was added.

Let’s just say that it now recognises hashtags by the time/date of Instagram post, and not by the time/date the hashtags were added. If you added hashtags to a post that was uploaded a week ago, it automatically registers as week-old hashtags, according to the “age” of your post. If you added hashtags to a post that was uploaded a year ago, you get the drift.

But also, shoutout to this commenter for inspiring this post:

Meanwhile, here are some really interesting Instagram accounts that we think you should check out and oh, you know, stalk:

BONUS: Ever wanted to learn how to perfect a #flatlay picture? Here’s a handy tutorial. You’re welcome.

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(UPDATE) Andy Lau Takes On The #ALSIceBucketChallenge Like A Man!

Just like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Siwon Choi (of K-Pop idol boy group Super Junior), Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau has decided to take on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! He was tagged by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun.

The “Ice Bucket Challenge” was started in July by Pete Frates, 29, a former Boston College baseball player who has been battling ALS since 2011 and it has now become a worldwide craze. It’s actually part of a campaign to raise money in fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks the brain and the spinal cord.

One such person who has suffered from the disease for many years now is none other than the world’s most celebrated brilliant physicist, Stephen Hawking.

The campaign requires an individual to dump a bucket of ice water on their head. After which, they’re allowed to challenge 3 more people to do the same. If someone refuses, the penalty is donating USD100 to the ALS Association. The stunt has raised millions for ALS so far!

Andy Lau has taken it to the next level by choosing a topmost level of a building for his video location and attaching a camera to his bucket of ice water. Watch his video here:

Did you hear? He tagged Jay Zhou! Do you think Jay Zhou will take on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge too? We can’t wait to find out!

That was quick! Jay Zhou has done it – beanie and all. Watch:

Three cheers for these kings, yes? We think so!


Maintain Your Privacy By Disabling Your “Off-Facebook Activity” Feature

Beware guys! If you feel like Facebook is keeping track on each and every of your move online, then you can put a stop to it by adjusting your “Off-Facebook Activity” feature.

The “Off-Facebook Activity” was first introduced worldwide on 28th January this year, where the platform gains data outside of your usual Facebook activity as well.

For those who are curious, you can click on the feature through your own Facebook account, and a list of information and data that businesses and organisations share with Facebook will be shown on the page.

Back on 19th April (Sunday), a user named Richard Glam took to Facebook to warn others on the new feature. According to him, Facebook has been “monitoring and tracking” what people do when they’re not online via the “Off-Facebook Activity” feature for the past 8 weeks.

In the post, Richard also shared some tips on how one can disable this function. He further advised fellow users to clear their history on the tool as well. For those who are curious, here’s how you can de-activate the feature, as shared by Richard himself online:

Additionally, users can opt to disconnect their Off-Facebook Activity, which will disable past activities from their account. However, turning off this function means that they will no longer be able to use their Facebook account to log into other apps or sites. Instead, they might have to create a new login for those pages.

Facebook will still receive information about the activities on the site. The difference is that it won’t be related to your account anymore.


Hype’s Movie Review: #Focus’ Charm Lies In Visual & Romance

There are certain expectations for “Focus“, a romantic comedy heist film that stars “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Will Smith and “The Wolf of Wall Street” star Margot Robbie. Other than the plot itself, the movie immediately caught our attention because Smith and Robbie are teaming up as a pair of con-artists before flexing their criminal muscles as Deadshot and Harley Quinn in Warner Bros’ upcoming DC Comics film “Suicide Squad“. Considering how Deadshot and Harley Quinn were romantically involved in the DC Universe, this con-artist flick is sort of like a prequel for the “Suicide Squad” movie.

“There’s a science to getting people to trust you,” says Nicky Spurgeon, a not-so-trustworthy character portrayed by Smith. He is a seasoned con-man who distracts his victims while stealing their personal belongings. He’s a smooth criminal and a gentleman thief who made stealing looks like an invincible form of art. Funny how a thief named Nicky appears in Canadian heist film “The Art of the Steal” too.

He is no match for an attractive young woman named Jess (played by Margot Robbie), who comes into his life after her failed attempt to scam him. Although she is a woman with a force of nature, she is a novice con-artist who needs Nicky to guide her and show her all the effective scamming tricks. As per requested, he decides to teach her the tricks of the trade and she quickly becomes a skilled con-artist. But if you think this movie will explain how they pull off their tricks, think again. Writer-director duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa made it clear from the beginning that they are the ones playing a trick on you. Although it’s a con-artist flick, they focus (no pun intended) on the relationship between Nicky and Jess instead of their tricks. The tricks are incredibly smooth and sleek yet they never describe how they managed to pull them off.

Ficarra and Requa set the tone of movie by using the sultry jazz music in the opening scene, which helps create a sleeker version of their usual rom-coms such as “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “I Love You Phillip Morris”. Nicky and Jess later become romantically involved with each other but when Jess gets too close for comfort, Nicky abruptly abandons her. See, this is why most people have trust issues when trust is the most important thing in a relationship. It’s even worse for Nicky and Jess because scamming and stealing are part of their routine.

It’s clearly a bad break up as it takes 3 years for Nicky to get back into the scene and show up in Buenos Aires for his biggest heist ever. He deals with Rafael Garríga (played by Rodrigo Santoro), a millionaire Spanish race car team owner who has the secret weapon that everyone wants in the racecar industry. With his particular set of skills, he gains the confidence and trust from Garriga and his head of security Owens. He tells them how the “plan” was supposed to be executed at a party but when he’s about to perform his trick, he bumps into Jess again. But this time around, she is not alone; Jess is romantically involved with the very man that Nicky is getting into business with.

Clearly, Nicky hasn’t really gotten over Jess as her sudden appearance throws his plan for a real loop. Can Nicky pull off the heist? Will he choose to “never drop the con” and “die with the lie” instead? That’s for you to find out when it’s out in the cinemas.

The writer-director duo takes a clever and emotional approach with more emphasis on the romance elements of the story. Despite being raised in the world of deception, Nicky is good at reading human behaviour and smooth at engaging a stranger in a conversation. He has a huge team of talented con-artists to execute his long con and they work in unity like an actual organisation. Considering how Will Smith failed to showcase his talent in 2013’s “After Earth”, his performance has somewhat improved as it’s not as cringe-worthy as I thought it’d be. This is a slightly bumpy yet great comeback for Smith and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

As for Robbie, she is incredibly attractive as Jess and despite the huge age difference, she displays great chemistry with Smith. However, we can’t help but notice that the couple is like the watered down version of the married assassins in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” or the real-life criminal couple Bonnie and Clyde. They didn’t try to kill each other but perhaps this is what Ficarra and Requa intended to show: Thieves can fall in love even though trust is a tool for them to manipulate people.

Nicky and Jess are not the most interesting characters though. Despite only having supporting roles, Adrian Martinez, BD Wong, and Gerald McRaney outshone Smith and Robbie with their short yet memorable appearances in “Focus”. Martinez plays a “500 pound Persian” named Farhad, who is a longtime friend and a vital member of Nicky’s team. He is smart and witty, which is why it seems like he is given the best line in the movie. BD Wong truly leaves a lasting impression with his cameo appearance as a rich Chinese gambler. The same can be said about McRaney, who turns up with his fierce yet grumpy role. As a head of security for Garriga, he pivots his performance in a key sequence toward the final part of the movie.

“Focus” can be a highly entertaining heist film with outstanding cinematography. Cinematographer Xavier Pérez Grobet flaunts the beauty of the cities by highlighting the beautiful aspects New York, New Orleans, and Buenos Aires. The visual style is on par with the movies with amazing cinematographies such as “Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, and “Birdman”. The single-take moments are delivered with such perfect timing that it’s hard not to be amazed by them.

Slated for release on 27th February 2015, “Focus” is produced by Denise Di Novi and executive produced by Charlie Gogolak and Stan Wlodkowski.

For more information, visit the movie’s official website or Facebook page.

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Cheap Drinks This “Thirsty Sunday” At bakita!

Hey you, what are your plans this Sunday? You know, it’s April Fools’ Day, right?

But here’s something that’s neither a joke nor a prank. “Thirsty Sunday” (by Beerbeer) is happening this weekend at the heaviest weight of Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, bakita!

So even if you’re planning to run around town pulling the ol’ Ashton Kutcher and “punk”-ing people, don’t. Lay back and enjoy the Sunday with some nice cold ones instead. And did we already mention that these “nice cold ones”, for one day only, are going to be super cheap?

From 2:30pm onwards, it’s RM5 and RM10 for ice cold draught beers, ciders, and cocktails such as Carlsberg, Kronenbourg Blanc, and Blackthorn Cider! To top it all off, we hear there’s also going to be an interesting “guest appearance” on Sunday and no, it isn’t a court jester.

We already know that it’s going to be awesome to spread the word! Bring your friends, heck, bring your family, even. As a matter of fact bring everyone and anyone you know because entry to this event is completely FOC.

Venue: bakita, 33, Jalan Berangan, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

For more information, visit bakita’s Facebook page.


#Minions: New Trailer Promises A Whole Load Of Fun

Remember the yellow single-celled organisms that instantly brightens up your day with their cheeky little characters along with their not-so-understandable language? Yes, we’re talking about the minions!

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment recently introduced new details for the highly anticipated “Minions” movie with the unveiling of its third trailer.

In the trailer, a narrator is heard saying:

Minions. Have you ever wondered what they came from? They’ve been on this planet far longer than we have.

Finding a master was easy. Keeping a master, well that was when things got tricky.

After losing their leaders including T-Rex, Napoleon and Dracula, the minions are seen trying to start a new, but failing miserably each time. As life got harder, three minions decided that they’ve had enough, that it was time they got themselves a new master!

The trio then go on a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (played by Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock) the world’s first-ever female super-villain.

In the trailer, it shows that the minions are required to steal Queen Elizabeth’s crown as demanded by their new master.

Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda and written by Brian Lynch, “Minions” will feature a soundtrack of hit music from the 60s. The movie will include voiceovers by Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm (Scarlet’s husband), Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Geoffrey Rush and Allison Janney.

“Minions” is set to hit the theatres on 10th July 2015.

For more information, visit the film’s official website, Facebook and Twitter.

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Rumour Has It: The Next iPhone

It looks like tech giant Apple is all set to begin the production of the next iPhone/the new iPhone/iPhone 5S/iPhone 6 (we don’t know what it’s going to be called, really) next month for the preparation of its June/July release date. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is convinced that Apple is currently testing two new iPhone prototypes, one of which is the next gen iPhone while the other is the rumoured cheaper iPhone.

He also said that the next gen iPhone will boast a 4.8-inch screen, a super HD camera, way massive internal storage of 128 GB, Near Field Communication (NFC), and a better battery. The “cheaper” iPhone, on the other hand, is basically going to be a low-cost iPhone likely to have a polycarbonate case with a 4-inch non-Retina Display and no LTE.

The two iPhones is expected to launch this year; one in second quarter of 2013 and another in third/fourth quarter of 2013. This is also backed by the reports that Apple might switch to a six-month cycle instead of a one-year cycle in terms of launches/releases. The tech giant also thought likely to make its seventh-generation handset available in a host of new colour options, including pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver, red, and slate.

These are of course just predictions as Apple has always loved and are extremely good at keeping secrets. Well, save for that great big iPhone 4 leak.

In any case, yes, Apple. Time to buck up and go head-on with aggressive competitors!


Cocohut Long Beach Resort Clarifies About Chasing Customers Out Because Of RM50 Charge

The famous Cocohut Long Beach Resort in Perhentian Island came under fire this week after a customer claimed that the holiday house chased him and his friends out for refusing to pay RM50 additional charge.

The guy in question, Ridzuan Hsn, took to his Facebook to share his bad experience with his followers on social media. The post has garnered over 255 shares online, with a sleuth of comments from netizens slamming the staff in charge for being unprofessional.

A few days after Ridzuan’s post came to light, the management team of Cocohut Long Beach finally stepped in to clarify the situation. In a statement provided to VOCKET, they revealed that Ridzuan’s status was taken from their bias side.

In clearing the air on the story, the team shared that they received bookings under his name from one of their agents in Kuala Besut, named Fatihah. They reserved one deluxe room (twin sharing) for 3 days 2 nights – 4th to 6th July 2020 (Saturday, Sunday and Monday).

There’s always two coins to a story. Here’s the resort’s explanation:

“Ridzuan and his friends came to the counter for check-in around 11am on 4th July. During that time, our staff was also busy managing the registration of other guests and this may have caused us to overlook their welcome arrival.

During the registration, we found that they had come with another female friend, who also brought her luggage. The capacity for the Deluxe room (according to booking and actual payment) was for two guests only. Since all three of them were carrying their suitcases, we asked if the room booking was for two or three people. Ridzuan then asked, ‘How much should we pay if she wants to stay here as well?’

We informed that an additional fee of RM50.00 per day will be charged to their friend if she makes use of all the facilities at our resort, much to Ridzuan’s dismay. For those who don’t know, the fee is to cover parts of the operating costs. Furthermore, we weren’t really convinced with their claim that the girl had already booked another hotel and was just there to accompany her friends.

After finishing the inspection according to the SOPs, the three of them sat in the restaurant area where we heard them banging their luggages, allegedly with the intention to grab our attention. They also uttered abusive words to provoke us like, ‘Stupid! They thought we’ve never checked in a hotel before this’ and ‘They thought we’re staying here for free? We paid money!’

Due to their rude actions, our staff came to them and informed that we had decided to cancel the room reservation. We also showed Ridzuan the notice that we have the rights to cancel any bookings if the guests show disturbing and violent behaviour. In this case, we deny Ridzuan’s claim that we chased the trio out.

The video uploaded by Ridzuan on social media (already deleted) was taken during the process of cancelling their reservation and returning the money to Fatihah (the agent). The act of uploading a video, by displaying the resort manager’s clear face without permission, has violated his personal rights and clearly this has legal implications.

However, Ridzuan refused to cancel the booking and still insisted on staying at Cocohut Long Beach. This resulted in a heated argument among him, his friends and a few of our staffs. We could also hear Ridzuan uttering abusive, obscene and racist words as follows: ‘Chinese are like that, they eat pork,’ which was very rude, inappropriate and racist.

After completing the refund, the three left the building without even returning the room key. Thanks to Fatihah’s help, we were informed that they have made a new reservation at another chalet nearby and had to contact the chalet in order to obtain the room key again.

As the statement made by Ridzuan Hassan gave a huge impact to the company, we are currently discussing with our lawyer in order to take further action in court. We will also answer some of his claims through the right channels in order to clear the name of Cocohut Long Beach.

We also acknowledge all the negative reviews from other users. However, we are always open to receive feedback, comments and suggestions for improvement from our customers. Therefore, we request netizens to not solely blame us regarding this matter.”

What are your thoughts after hearing their explanation?

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Dewar’s Launches Its Very First D15 Night Series At Fuze Club KL

Scotch whisky brand, Dewar’s recently brought its first-ever D15 night series to Fuze Club KL.

The makers of the exquisite double-aged Scotch whisky gave party animals of Kuala Lumpur a treat. The evening was headlined by no other than Dutch DJ duo, Yellow Claw.

A post shared by Doodle Event (@doodleevent)

However, the evening first started off with some ice breakers. Clubbers were treated to a few D15 games. Winners got to taste Dewar’s delicate 15-Year-Old. It’s blend taste of rare vintage single malt and single grain was definitely a masterpiece!

Dewar’s then proceeded the event with a variety of rising acts before culminating to its highlight of the night. International Dutch duo, Yellow Claw set the stage on fire as they played their anthem.

Managing Director of Bacardi was thrilled about the response for D15 Nights commented, “We created the D15 Nights as a platform that speaks to Dewar’s trendy audience that is looking for new nightlife experiences.”

“The fabulous reaction from our guests at our launch in Kuala Lumpur has encouraged us to double our efforts towards expanding the platform both within Malaysia and broader markets.”


#Logan: Wolverine 3 Gets Officially Title; Plot & Character Details Revealed

For the longest time, the 3rd instalment of “Wolverine” was known to fans as “Wolverine 3“. Thanks to the first official movie poster, the final “Wolverine” will simply be called, “Logan”.

That’s right guys, Hugh Jackman has officially put the claws back on. In the poster, the actor’s familiar buff arm can be seen with 3 Wolverine claws extended out. However, the big question isn’t about Wolverine but the small child’s hand clutching onto the clawed mutant. Who exactly is that child?

It’s possible that the child in question is mutant clone X-23, aka Laura Kinney, aka the new Female Wolverine. As Kofi Outlaw points out, the setup is already there. During the “X-Men: Apocalypse” post credits scene, we saw Mister Sinister in possession of Wolverine’s DNA – a valuable item he could easily use to clone X-23.

It does make plenty of sense. Replacing Wolverine with his female counterpart seems like a smarter option, than say, recasting Jackman with another actor to play the iconic X-Men character. No doubt, that will probably pissed off the majority of the “X-Men” movie universe fan base.

According to The Wrap, the events of “Logan” will see a much older Wolverine living out his last days in the future. It is the year 2024 and the birth rate for humankind has started to decline, leading to an overall drop in the mutant population. Logan himself isn’t faring too well. He’s not only sick and self-medicating with alcohol, but his powers are diminishing to the point where sometimes he doesn’t heal at all.

Similarly, Professor X, whose mind has begun to deteriorate, is also growing more unstable with his own powers. It doesn’t help that a sketchy government operation called Transigen is capturing mutant children and turning them into killing machines. One of them, as some of you may have already guess, is X-23, whom Logan ends up mentoring.

Director James Mangold also took to Twitter to reveal the 2nd page of the movie screenplay, basically confirming that the rated-R “Logan”, which is partially based on the popular “Old Man Logan” comic book storyline, will be a “violent” story with shades of a western.

It reads: “In this flick, people will get hurt or killed when shit falls on them. They will get just as hurt or just as killed if they get hit with something big and heavy like, say, a car. Should anyone in our story have the misfortune to fall off a roof or out a window, they won’t bounce. They will die.”

Sound pretty gory and alarming isn’t it? But more importantly, it sounds like a fitting swan song for Jackman before he hangs up his adamantium claws for good.

“Logan” is slated to hit theatres on 3rd March 2017.

Sources: Comic Book, Cinema Blend, /Film.

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Has New E-hailing App ‘Gojek’ Entered Kuala Lumpur?

The use of e-hailing in Malaysia is well-established, with the majority of Malaysians either lacking access to a vehicle or unwilling to sit through daily traffic jams (we’re talking to you, KL/Selangor residents). Most of us are already familiar with the services available to us, like Grab and AirAsia. But it seems like there might be a +1 to our e-hailing services.

A Honda City with a ‘Gojek’ logo on the side of the car was recently spotted recording at the Kuala Lumpur Airport area, one of KL’s hotspots. While many are anticipating Gojek’s arrival in Malaysia, others are considering the idea that ‘Gojek’ has simply chosen Malaysia as the place for filming their social media content.

For those who are unfamiliar with Gojek, it is a multi-service tech platform that offers access to a variety of services such as transportation, payments, food delivery, logistics, and more. This Indonesian company is well-known for providing motorbike driving services. However, it now offers a car-driving service; GoCar which is similar to Grab, the country’s e-hailing industry’s pioneer.

A black Honda City with the ‘Gojek’ branding on its side was photographed late Sunday evening. It was being shot with a video camera in front of it, as seen in the image below. During the filming, there was also a traffic police man guarding the automobile and directing traffic.

Could this be a hint that Gojek is preparing to bring their e-hailing services to Malaysia and compete with the existing services? Or was this just a photo session for their social media feed that we were kepo enough to catch wind of?

We’ll just have to keep an eye on things to see what’s really going on. Perhaps we’ll see more of this black Honda City ‘Gojek’ Car in the coming days.

Daniela Dogliani contributed to this article.


#Marvel: Is There An Avengers & X-Men Crossover Movie In The Works?

Picture this: The Avengers and The X-Men joining forces on the big screen. It’s the superhero gathering comic book fans have been dreaming of for years.

Ever since Marvel was able to strike a deal with Sony that allowed Spider-Man to co-exist in the Marvel cinematic universe starting with “Spider-Man: Homecoming“, many have wondered if 20th Century Fox would at least consider doing something similar. As it turns out, they have.

During a recent episode of “Collider Heroes”, “Fatman on Batman” producer Matt Key discussed that Fox may be willing to collaborate with Marvel about having some kind of crossover sometime down the road.

Here’s what Key said: “I’ve heard from a few of my sources, my little birds, that Fox and Marvel have… kind of talked, but not really, but like there’s interest from Fox, like, ‘Ooh, y’know, what they did with Sony and Spider-Man is actually pretty cool, like, maybe…’ We’re years away from that ever possibly happening… but I think that’s what it would take… Fox joining hands with Marvel…”

Before you start imagining scenarios of Professor X, Magneto, Mr Fantastic, The Thing, Deadpool, Captain America, and Iron Man together, it doesn’t appear that the collaboration will take place anytime soon. Key’s comments also sounds pretty far from anything solid.

One of the reasons why fans shouldn’t get their hopes high is because of the possible timeline already proposed by Fox. There are already several X-Men spinoffs in the works, and since “Deadpool” did pretty well in the box office worldwide, it doesn’t seem like they are in desperate need to hook up with Marvel.

But if there’s any indication that Fox might make a deal with Marvel, the likeliest superheroes would be Marvel’s First Family. After “Fantastic Four” flopped last year, this is 1 such property that could really benefit from getting a makeover from Marvel Studios.

In addition, judging from the massive success from “Captain America: Civil War” (which demonstrate how eager audiences are to see their favourite heroes go head to head), think of how attractive it’d be to have an Avengers vs X-Men movie! The best we can do is hope for now.


#LotusFiveStar: First Cinema To Open In Kuala Terengganu In 22 Years

Good news Kuala Terengganu folks! You’ll be getting your first cinema in 22 years.

The Malay Mail Online reported that Terengganu’s capital city has not had a cinema in more than 2 decades. But that’s all about to change this weekend when Lotus Five Star Cinemas opens its doors to movie-goers.

Located at Paya Bunga Sentral (which is part of the Paya Bunga commercial complex), Lotus Five Star (LFS) Cinemas was originally supposed to open last year but ended up being delayed. The grand opening tomorrow (Saturday, 18th March) comes just in time for the school holidays.

The LFS PB Sentral is equipped with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology. The cinema also has a total of 11 halls and can house up to a seating capacity of 1631. However, only 6 cinema halls will be open first. The remaining 5 halls will be available on a later date.

The local Malay action-packed “J Revolusi” will get the honours of being the 1st movie screened at LFS PB Sentral. Shortly after, local residents will get to enjoy the latest released films such as “Logan“, “Kong: Skull Island”, “Attraction”, “Kanang Anak Langkau”, “Power Rangers”, “Life”, “Ghost in the Shell”, and more.

If you happen to be visiting Kuala Terengganu, here are other fun-filled activities you can explore while staying in the region.

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#PK661: Pakistan International Airlines Plane Crashes Near Abbottabad; No Survivors

An ATR-42 aircraft operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crashed into the mountains near Abbottabad (located in northeastern Pakistan) on Wednesday (7th December), killing all 47 people on board including 2 infants.

According to PIA chairman Muhammad Azam Saigol, domestic flight PK661 from the city of Chitral to the capital Islamabad went down with 42 passengers and 5 crew members on board. It was reported that 500,000 rupees (approximately RM21,000) cash will be given to the victims’ families to meet funeral expenses.

Saigol also added that one of the pilots made an distress call, saying he had lost control of one of the 2 engines. Pakistan’s military has confirmed that searchers have recovered the black box from the plane, but the cause of the crash remains unclear.

“We were confident that the plane could land with one working engine. This is a tragedy. We are not absolving ourselves of any connection to this incident,” said the PIA chairman.

PIA crashed Video . pic.twitter.com/m26Gs5Rzz3

— WAHEED AFSAR (@waheedafsar12) December 8, 2016

3 foreigners were believe to have been on the aircraft. Austria’s foreign ministry confirmed 2 of its nationals were killed while the Chinese state media said that one of its citizens was also aboard. Also among the victims are Pakistani legendary pop star-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed and his wife.

Jamshed rose to fame in the 1980s through Vital Signs, one of the most iconic pop bands in Pakistan. A few days before his tragic death, he posted touristy pictures of Chitral on Twitter, describing the picturesque valley as “heaven on Earth”.

Heaven on Earth Chitral. With my friends in the Path of Allah . Snowpacked Tirchmir right behind us pic.twitter.com/ZajcWEKlrG

— Junaid Jamshed (@JunaidJamshedPK) December 4, 2016

The crash is the first major airliner accident in Pakistan since Bhoja Air flight BHO213 (Boeing 737-200) crashed in bad weather while on approach to Islamabad in April 2012.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who were affected by the devastating crash ?

Sources: CNN, BBC, The Guardian, Al Jazeera.


Malaysians To Receive RM50 eWallet Credit By End Of July

Remember when the government previously announced that Malaysian citizens will stand to receive RM50 e-wallet credit under the ePenjana initiative?

We’re midway through July and most people are still wondering if it’s still happening. Berita Harian recently provided some updates and confirmed that those who have downloaded the MySejahtera app will receive it by the end of this month.

To quote The Rakyat Post, here are 3 things to take note:

Unlike the previous RM30 eTunai Rakyat in January, this RM50 credit will be limited to offline and physical purchases only. In addition, Malaysians will also get an extra RM50 value in the form of vouchers, cashbacks and discounts.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


Olivia Rodrigo Uses Procreate On Apple iPad For “brutal” Music Video

Disney star Olivia Rodrigo had her debut single, “Driving Licence”, released earlier this year and has been making waves ever since! Her song broke Spotify’s record for the most streams for a song in one week. Later on, it passed 100 million streams on Spotify, making it the fastest song in the platform’s history. This rapid success could be contributed by Olivia’s soulful and emotional lyrics in “Driving Licence” that has been making its rounds on TikTok too since its release — with many users of the application using the song as part of their videos.

Now, this critically acclaimed singer-songwriter has officially released the music video for “brutal”, the lead-off track from her record-breaking, RIAA PLatinum Certified debut album, “SOUR”! This music video was directed by Petra Collins and featured Olivia navigating through a dreamlike world while encountering various ‘brutal’ obstacles along the way — hence, symbolising the title of the song itself.

Now, here’s the best part! In the music video, it could be seen that Olivia wears a variety of animated masks. Surprisingly, these masks were made on an Apple iPad, just by using the Procreate application and the Apple Pencil. She then invited her fans to help bring her hit song vividly to life by filming themselves lip-syncing to “brutal” wearing their own animated masks created on iPad.

In reference to the making of “brutal” Petra Collins says, “Integrating the masks into the video was the best part! It really brought the video together. A lot of my animated references come from older styles of animation. Like Nobuhiko’s hand-drawn animation Hausu, Invitation to the Dance (1956), and some old Disney movies. I think what was most fun about this process was that we were able to bring the masks we were making on set and edit them in real-time. We could have our animators draw something and try it out on the spot. I’ve always wanted to work with some type of integrative animation but I am very hands-on so I’ve been looking for a process that would cater more towards that. I’ve always worked with tactile/tangible mediums (using film for both still and motion). Using iPad and Procreate was perfect because they fit right into this process. Procreate on iPad makes drawing and animating the perfect sensory experience, similar to how I feel shooting film. We shot this video on 16mm, so it seemed natural to be using a process where our animators were able to draw stuff and try things out on set in real-time.”

To see all the creative self-generated clippings and learn how to make your own, search the hashtags #brutalMasks and #MadeOniPad on TikTok.

The Apple iPad is definitely a powerful tool due to its power and versatility that could be easily used by people of all ages. It’s a good space and platform to fine-tune your brains to be more creative. With the aid of an Apple Pencil, the iPad would turn out to be an immersive drawing canvas subsequently, setting a pre-cursor as to how drawing should look and feel like — intuitive, precise and magical.

Now, with the help of the iPad and Apple Pencil, Procreate would enable one to create expressive sketches, rich paintings, gorgeous illustrations, beautiful animations and more as it’s one of the most powerful digital art applications on iPad today.

Procreate also comes with unique features and intuitive creative tools such as FacePaint which enables its user to paint directly onto their face and create their own filters, masks or make-up looks! To learn how to make your own masks on the iPad, click here.

Coming back to the topic of “brutal”, it scored the No.1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. This marks Olivia’s first entry on the ranking. To date, it has gained over 320 million total global streams in addition to debuting at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Alternative Songs and Alternative Streaming Songs chart!

Here’s the newly-released music video of “brutal”:


#Malaysia: Lucky Gardens Restaurant Slammed For RM10 “Aircon Charge”

A restaurant in Lucky Gardens, Kuala Lumpur has come under fire recently for imposing RM10 “air conditioning charge” in a customer’s bill dated 15th April 2016.

The receipt, which has been widely circulated on Facebook, drew criticism from netizens, with many asking if it was necessary. “Next time please include rental charge, utilities, toilet cleaning services also,” said one Facebook user. Another commenter wrote, “Patrons now have to absorb the electricity charges? Soon it will be lights and water supply from Syabas too.”

The restaurant’s management has stepped forward to address the issue, saying that they didn’t put in the RM10 “air conditioning charge” in the bill. The management explained that the “air conditioning charge” was only billed to customers who dine in its air-conditioning executive dining area, private section of the restaurant.

The person who shared the copy of the receipt had booked the room for a group of 10 people and used the space for over 3 hours, the management claimed. “For their exclusive usage of the air conditioned room, we charged the customer a nominal fee of RM10 which he had requested to waive, and we waived it. We did a favour for the customer by just charging a nominal fee instead of a booking fee which we waived in the end,” they added.

Meanwhile, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said that the restaurant would be investigated over the supposed bill.

“Some restaurants have charges like that for customers who book a room for a specific event, and it is not against the law if it is communicated to customers. Only in this case, we cannot be sure whether the customer had dined in the room or outside, as we have not met the person,” he said.

Sources: TRP, Sin Chew Daily, The Star Online, FMT.

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#Oscars: The Complete 87th Annual Academy Awards Experience With HBO Asia

HBO Asia brings viewers the complete Oscars experience across multi-screens on 23rd Feb – from live on-air television broadcast of the red carpet and the 87th Annual Academy Awards, to exclusive online content on HBO Asia’s website and social media platforms direct from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

In addition, HBO will be flying 14 lucky viewers to the Oscars in 2016.

Oscars fans who hunger for more than just watching the ceremony on their television on HBO (Astro Ch 411/431) can concurrently view exclusive online content on HBO Asia’s website, including raw feed from the Academy’s “Thank You Cam” available for the first time ever in Oscars history to broadcasters.

On 23rd Feb, HBO Asia’s crew on the red carpet in Los Angeles, together with TV presenter Utt Panichkul, will capture red carpet moments on the fly, making these exclusive video interviews and photos continuously available to HBO Asia’s social media followers. Utt will also take over HBO Asia’s Instagram on 23rd Feb to share the pictures he will be taking at the Oscars.

“Thank You Cam” Videos And Backstage Interviews

For the first time in Oscars history, broadcasters are given access to the raw feed of the Academy’s “Thank You Cam”. Released concurrently during the Oscars awards ceremony, watch that euphoric moment just as the winners come off stage from accepting their award on the “Thank You Cam”. Backstage interviews of the winners as they answer questions from the media will also be available.

The HBO Ultimate Oscars Experience Contest

HBO Asia is sponsoring an all-expense paid trip for 7 pairs of winners to watch the red carpet live at the 2016 Oscars in Los Angeles. Winners will receive 5-star treatment during the trip, which includes flight and hotel accommodation, wardrobe and limousine arrangement, and celebrity chef dining.

To participate, watch the live broadcast on HBO this 23rd Feb, look out for two questions and submit the answers on hboasia.com by 8th March 2015. For more information, go here.

The 87th Annual Academy Awards programmes will be broadcast live in Asia on HBO (Astro Ch 411/431) this 23rd Feb from 6am. Refer to the table below for the complete programme schedule:

Actor Neil Patrick Harris is set to host the 87th Annual Academy Awards. The full list of Oscar nominations is available here.

And last but not least, don’t forget to join the Oscars conversation across your social media platforms via hashtags #Oscars and #HBOAsia!

For more information, visit HBO Asia’s website or Facebook page.


Enola Holmes Review: Millie Bobby Brown Is Gold In An Otherwise Penny-Dime Mystery

In the early 2010s, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes became something of a pop culture phenomenon. We saw multiple iterations of the character appear on-screen. There was Robert Downey Jr’s eccentric, silver-tongued brawler. Arguably, he was more Jack Sparrow than detective if we’re being book accurate. Then, there was Benedict Cumberbatch’s legendary portrayal of the character. The stoic, emotionally-distant genius looking for stimulation and purpose. Followed by a less than remarkable Americanised version of the character with Jonny Lee Miller in “Elementary”.

After some time, it seemed like this well was tapped thoroughly dry. We’ve seen our fill of fast-talking detectives, camera zoom-ins and analytical commentary. Then came a fresh and interesting approach to the concept of the detective, based on Nancy Springer’s books. What if we went on an adventure through the perspective of Sherlock’s younger sister, Enola Holmes? A novel concept for sure but let’s see if the film truly has anything meaningful to add to Doyle’s mythos.

A post shared by Film Feeder (@filmfeederinsta)

If you’re coming into Netflix’s “Enola Holmes” expecting a faithful retelling of one of Doyle’s classic, or at least a modern revision of it, you won’t find it here. The plot of the film feels more line with something out of a “Lemony Snicket” novel than it does a murder mystery or crime thriller.

When Enola’s mother disappears, she contacts her older brother Sherlock and Mycroft for aid. There’s just one problem, neither of them is being particularly helpful. The eldest Mycroft, resentful of their mother, is far too preoccupied in trying to remove Enola from the picture than to aid her. Sherlock, on the other hand, is hesitant to disrupt his carefree lifestyle of being a famous detective and therefore does not want to be responsible for Enola. Like any good, young protagonist though, she sets off on her own to find her lost mother.

Along the way, she gets up to all sorts of misadventures. Things become particularly dangerous when she gets wrapped up in a conspiracy involving a dashing young marquess, the Viscount Lord Tewksbury. There are murderous forces at play and it’s up to Enola to save the day.

For the most part, “Enola Holmes” is a fun, little romp all around. It’s got all the heart and spunk you’d come to expect from your typical YA novel adaptation. Unfortunately, the film’s plot isn’t terribly original. Some of the plot beats can be seen a mile away along with a predictable romantic arc involving Enola and the marquess boy. The glue that holds the whole film together is the pacing.

Unlike other adaptations such as “The Darkest Mind” or “Divergent”, the film spares us the monotony of endless exposition. The world of Sherlock Holmes is a pre-established one and thankfully the film treats it as such. It drops us right in the middle of the action and it blazes off to the races. This approach has its detriments as well. Part of what makes “Enola Holmes” so cheery and fun is the film’s writing.

Much like Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes”, there’s plenty of snappy dialogue and witty banter to go around. The majority of the zingers come from Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola of course. Where the film falters is in its attempts at creating dramatic stakes. The central conflict of the film is centred around Enola’s struggle for independence.

The patriarchal oppression of English society is typified in her eldest brother, Mycroft. A foil who is as bland as he is simpleminded. It is disappointing to see the film ruin one of the most interesting characters in Doyle’s Sherlock mythos. All for the sake of conflict and contrivances.

The film is at its absolute worst when it makes ham-fisted attempts at social commentary about feminism and gender inequality. The most egregious transgression being Enola’s Jujitsu teacher who gives a whole schpeel about the evils of patriarchy. There are more nuanced ways to get this message across. Certainly without having to grind the film to a screeching halt.

Without a doubt, the film benefits substantially from its lead actress. Millie Bobby Brown of “Stranger Things” fame has gone a long way from her days as El. Admittedly, we had our doubts about her acting range with films like “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”. With “Enola Holmes”, though, she’s proven that she can carry a film. Her portrayal of the character is as charming as it is heartwarming. In lieu of Sherlock’s dismissive machismo, she brings a wide-eyed spitfire sense of wonder to the world. She makes you feel like a kid again, in all the right ways.

There is a price for this, however. The film seems to have sacrificed the rest of the characters’ development for Enola. Seriously, they seem to only exist to give her trouble or make her look good. Particularly, the men in the film. If you’re hoping to see Henry Cavill shine in his role as Sherlock, you will be sorely disappointed. In lieu of his typical rebellious nature, Sherlock here seems rather domesticated. Then, there’s Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes. “Enola Homes” has taken one of the most interesting characters in Doyle’s works and has reduced him to a one-dimensional villain. The man lives to be cross.

That being said, Louis Patridge as her partner-in-crime/potential love interest is the most bearable of the lot. His character’s sympathetic backstory and Patridge’s meekness plays well to Enola’s determination. The romance between the two isn’t particularly poignant but it gives us something to root for at the end of the day.

While “Enola Holmes” is clearly capitalising off its older brother’s reputation, the film does a decent enough job of establishing an identity of its own. If you can look past its flawed characterisation and cliche premise, there’s still a lot of fun to be had here. Owed to Enola herself, played capably by Millie Bobby Brown. If you’re in the mood for some good, clean YA novel adaptation fun, then “Enola Holmes” is right up for your alley.

Those looking for a more traditional take on the character should definitely check out BBC’s “Sherlock”. Both are currently available on Netflix!

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What MySejahtera 2.0 Could Look If This Local Developer Designs It

The MySejahtera app has been receiving a ton of flak due to its interface experience. Despite being launched in April last year, the app hasn’t seen much improvement.

It’s no surprise then that many netizens in Malaysia have been venting their annoyance after encountering several frustrating episodes. Not only have there been cases of Covid-19 vaccine appointments being rescheduled without prior notice, some even got their appointments far from home.

To curb some of the concurrent issues, Shahid Rogers – who is a software engineer and MAE by Maybank2u app developer – recently shared his re-imagination of MySejahtera on his social media. Since his own parents were having difficulty in registering for the Covid-19 vaccine, many other elderly folks are likely going through the same predicament.

Following several discussions with his friends, the local developer came up with a few mock-up designs to tackle the ongoing miscommunications as a result of the ever-changing SOPs by our dear government. While his initial design was centred on a simplified vaccine registration and appointment details, his subsequent mock-ups include group-checkins and vaccine education.

We can all agree that the MySejahtera app needs to be more user-friendly and cater to all regardless of their level of knowledge in tech.


#MTVEMA: The World’s Hottest Stars Take Over Glasgow + Winners Announced!

One of the biggest global annual music events celebrating the hottest artists from around the world, the 2014 MTV EMA was punctuated with outrageous, unexpected moments, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations and rousing performances that will undoubtedly go down in history. This year’s show transformed Glasgow’s SSE Hydro into an unforgettable time-travelling extravaganza, catapulting viewers through memories of the most outlandish moments in the MTV EMA’s 20-year history.

The show kicked-off by transporting viewers back to 1994, where a young Nicki Minaj watched the first-ever MTV EMA from her bedroom before traveling into the future, making a grand entrance into the 2014 MTV EMA in a frilled ball gown and sequinned bra.

“Her Royal Minajesty” truly commandeered the evening, taking home the award forBest Hip Hop, and even giving the audience a show-stopping, jaw-dropping blend of her biggest hits including “Super Bass”, “Anaconda” and a global debut performance of her new track, “Bed of Lies”, which featured a surprise appearance by Skylar Grey. The host also made it rain, telling the Glasgow crowd, “It’s my round!” before showering them with enough “Minaj money” for 1,000 free drinks.

One of the greatest rock bands of all time, U2 took to the MTV EMA stage for a fourth time with a poignant, understated rendition of “Every Breaking Wave”, accompanied by a strings section. Alicia Keys serenaded the crowd from the nearby viewing party at the O2 Academy Glasgow, with an inspired performance of her Best Song with a Message-nominated track “We Are Here” being beamed into the SSE Hydro and to MTV EMA viewers the world over. Best Song and Best Female winner Ariana Grande flew over the audience in a perspex bubble chair, treating fans to a Barbarella-esque medley of her smash hits “Problem” and “Break Free”:

Ed Sheeran, on the other hand, brought his chart-topping track ‘Thinking Out Loud’ to life, lighting up the stage with an elaborate music box.

Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne made his triumphant return to MTV to accept this year’s Global Icon Award. In a surprise closing performance, Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil joined guitar legend Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators to pay tribute to Ozzy with an epic rendition of his classic hit “Crazy Train”. Best World Stage winner Enrique Iglesias called on the crowd to be part of his medley of “Freak” and “Bailando”, with thousands of fans donning xylobands to light up the floor of the SSE Hydro.

True to form, madness prevailed. Katy Perry revealed an unusual obsession with Minaj’s “pillows”, and the show further honoured the host’s rear with a “butt putt” mini-golf green in the middle of the arena. Redfoo took to the stage dressed in a kilt to present the award for Best Pop to One Direction, having earlier revealed he was going commando on the MTV EMA red carpet, which was chosen by fans via social media with the hashtag #UnderFoosKiltEMA. In another nod to the heritage of the 2014 host city, David Hasselhoff dressed up in blue face paint to become “BraveHoff”.

Before closing out the evening, Queen Nicki announced that the 2015 MTV EMA will take place in Milan, Italy at the Mediolanum Forum on 25th Oct 2015 (Sunday). Italy and the city of Milan will serve as the official location for Expo 2015, the Universal Exhibition, and the MTV EMA will close out a year of international events taking place in Milan.

For more pictures from the awards, check out the gallery below:

Miss the 2014 MTV EMA? Fret not! The show will repeat on the following times:

Don’t forget, we’re still running the MTV EMA exclusive limited edition merchandise giveaway here! But you gotta watch and win ;)

For more information, hit up the MTV EMA website.

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Getting Some Spector Love

New to us, but not new to Londoners – that just about sums up the five-piece indie rock band from London. Spector comprises of Frederick Macpherson (vocalist), Christopher Burman (guitar), Thomas Shickle (bass), Jed Cullen (synth, guitar) and Danny Blandy (drums). Recently, they played their first gig in America at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California.

A few months after (on 12th August 2012, to be exact), the band released their debut album, “Enjoy It While It Lasts“. While it received mixed reviews at first, the album has gone on to reach number 12 in the UK Album Charts. After which, they embarked on their tour.

Thanks to our friends from Universal Music Malaysia, we managed to catch Chris on a good day over the phone and had a quick chat with him while he enjoyed some normalcy on a “day off from work”. Translation: we bugged him with questions the moment we knew he had time off tour.

Let’s find out how Spector has been doing:

Hey Chris! Good to be speaking to you. Thank you for taking time to speak to us. What are you up to right now?

“I’m actually at home. We’ve been on tour for a really long time so I’m enjoying a very short amount of time at home. I’m sitting on the balcony at my house, having a cup of coffee. It’s about 11 in the morning here. I’m thinking, I might take the rubbish out..maybe do some cleaning..”

“You know what’s funny? I used to have a morning ritual but after being on tour for almost the whole year, I don’t have one anymore. I’m lucky if I know where I am when I wake up these days. I wish it was simple, that I could wake up, make myself a cup of coffee, and read the morning paper – I’m becoming an old man!”

Haha! Spector is still a fairly new band. First things first, how or when did you guys meet and decide, “Okay we’re going to be a band!”

“The story really is, although we’re quite new in the sense that we’ve only been playing at live shows for about 18 months,Frederick and I went to school together. I’ve known him since I was 13. When you’re that age and you start getting into music, you kinda know that you would start a band together. It was natural that we started one together. Then, we kinda fell out really badly when we were 20 years old. I went to university and he went to start up another band. When I finished, we started talking again. You know, when you know someone really well land you really like working together, you’d just be like, okay we’re going to start a band together and we’re going to do as best as we can. So in a weird way, I always knew that I was going to end up being in a band with Frederick.”

What was the beginning of Spector like? As in, what was your earliest memory of playing as a band, as Spector?

“About two and a half years ago, we got the people we liked making music with and liked hanging around with to be in this band with us. Then we started rehearsing a lot in London. Not playing any gigs though. Just playing in like, small horrible rooms in East London where they had no natural light!”

Spector just released its first album, “Enjoy It While It Lasts” last month. Tell us a lil bit more about the album. What’s your songwriting process like?

“We work in a very strange way! We’re definitely not the sort of band who turns up in the studio and say, oh we should write some music. And then press record and see what comes up. We’re much more..get on the computer, record stuff, and keep editing it until we really know it’s really good. And then at that point, we all go into the studio and everyone starts polishing it together. Also, when we’re in the studio, anyone can do anything like, anyone can play any of the instruments if anyone has got an idea. But when we’re playing live on stage we play the same instruments all the time.”

Do you guys have any rituals that you do before you go on stage? Vocal warm ups or push ups or..

“That’s quite an intimate to talk about because it’s quite a special moment. I’ll tell you what we do but it changes all the time. What we’re doing at the moment every time before we go on stage is, we get into a big hug. Then we look each other in the eye and make eye contact. It’s funny because when you’re on tour, you can go for a long period of time..not even talking to someone. Especially not even looking at them. You can literally be in the same room as them but not talk or not look at them because you’re trying to be in your own head. So the best way to remember that you’re in a band with somebody is to look them straight in the face and go, okay, gotta remember we’re doing this together.”

“It’s really effective! If you’re in a band, I recommend looking each other in the eye, and that you look them straight in the face. And then do some thumbs up push ups as well but that’s a separate thing..”

Haha! Okay Chris. Now, do us a favour and picture yourself in a time travel machine for this part of the interview..

If we took you back in time, sometime in the past maybe 10 years ago, what would you say to the younger you?

“That’s a very interesting question. I think my younger self would say to my older self, ‘I’m not going to listen to what you say!’. Because when you’re young, you think like..’I know what’s best’. Haha! But no, really, I would say, ‘Buy stocks in Apple’. I would tell my younger self not to worry about what other people think because I had that problem when I was younger. I always worried about what other people thought. On the hindsight, I would say just about anything. If the future me told me to do something else, well, I haven’t really regretted anything that I’ve done. I think i’d just have a conversation with my younger self and try to remember what I was like.”

Now, bring yourself back to the present time. If we bestowed upon you the power to change the one thing that you could change about the music industry, what would it be?

“We’ve got this thing now where people can upload a video or upload a song and the record industry will judge it by how people react to it. It means that the new musicians will have to stick to something – they can’t change or be flexible and can’t develop it further. In the past, people still had a chance to really develop as musicians and the best music that people make are usually the ones that they make after several years of trying to make music. It’s very rare that a band’s first album is better than their second album unless if they’ve been doing it for a long time. So if there was something that I could change, it would be to give people more time to develop.”

Such are deep thoughts from deep musicians like Spector! We’re hoping to catch them live in Malaysia sometime soon though. Will they come? You think?

For more information on Spector, visit their official website or hit up their Facebook page.

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#TerminatorGenisys: New Featurettes & TV Spots Guaranteed To Amaze You

Remember the “Bus on the Bridge” clip that was released on Tuesday (16th June)? There’s more where that came from.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have released a few more “Terminator Genisys” video clips and we assure you that it is all worth your time. However, here’s a word of caution – do not watch them if you want to avoid any spoilers.

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to the film to reprise his role as the original Terminator T-800 while “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney play Sarah Connor and sargeant Kyle Reese respectively. The 5th instalment in the “Terminator” series also casts Jason Clarke as John Connor, the leader of the human resistance. The additional cast includes Dayo Okeniyi as Danny Dyson, Matthew Smith as T-5000, Courtney B. Vance as Miles Dyson, and Lee Byung Hun as T-1000.

The new clips include an interrogation, a fight scene (which includes a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger), and an obligatory explosion. You can even take a peek at what happens behind the scenes! But as expected, some spoilers are included in these clips.

Still insist on watching? Well, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Now, is that sensory overload or what? Any more clips and we might as well just skip going to the cinema. ;)

In case you’re still confused over what happened in the clips, here’s the plot line to help you keep up:

In the film, John Connor (Jason Clarke), the leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, but an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline. Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…

The feature film is directed by Alan Taylor (famed for directing “Thor: The Dark World”) based on a screenplay by Leata Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. It is produced by David Ellison and Dana Goldberg.

“Terminator Genisys” is intended to be the 1st of a trilogy and will hit cinemas on 2nd July 2015.


Hype’s Must Watch: The Stanford Prison Experiment

Even those who aren’t taking a course in psychology have probably heard of Professor Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971.

The experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. Out of 75 students, 24 male students were selected to adopt assigned roles of prisoner and guard in a mock prison that was situated in the basement of the Stanford Psychology Department building. Though the experiment was supposed to last for a period between 7 and 14 days, it was abruptly stopped after only 6 days as it affected the participants and the professor himself. It was also stopped due to the objections of Zimbardo’s then girlfriend and now wife, Christina Maslach.

Certain portions of the experiment were filmed for a documentary while 2 movies inspired by this event have already been made. But unlike 2001’s German film “Das Experiment” and 2010’s American version “The Experiment”, Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s “The Stanford Prison Experiment” remains true to the source material by having a close participation of Dr. Zimbardo himself.

This upcoming psychological film assembled an extraordinary cast, with Billy Crudup portraying Professor Zimbardo and Ezra Miller starring as Prisoner #8612, the focal point for the emotional trauma in the film. It also stars a slew of rising young actors, including Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Thomas Mann, Keir Gilchrist, Johnny Simmons, and Olivia Thirlby.

The official synopsis (via iTunes Movie Trailers) is as follows:

In this tense, psychological thriller based on the notorious true story, Billy Crudup stars as Stanford University professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who, in 1971, cast 24 student volunteers as prisoners and guards in a simulated jail to examine the source of abusive behavior in the prison system. The results astonished the world, as participants went from middle-class undergrads to drunk-with-power sadists and submissive victims in just a few days.

The movie premiered at The Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, winning both the “Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize” and the “Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award”. It was later picked up by IFC Films, which acquired the US rights to the film on 5th March 2015.

Watch the thrilling trailer released by the studio here:

Based on a screenplay by Tim Talbott, “The Stanford Prison Experiment” is slated for a limited release on 17th July 2015. It will also be released on VOD on 24th July 2015.

For more information, visit the movie’s official website.

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Skrillex Reveals Jack Ü EP Or “Mini-Album” In The Works

Diplo and Skrillex, OSWLA and Mad Decent − it’s impossible not to be excited.

After getting off the decks at the Sundance Film Festival, bass guru Skrillex, sat down with Billboard for a few sound bites in regards to what the superstar DJ/producer has planned next. The conversation jumped immediately to the plans for the Jack Ü EP, or “mini-album”, with production collaborator Diplo.

Skrillex reveals that they have completed around 10 songs together, including some unfinished older demos have been revisited and some brand new projects crafted from the ground up for the collaborative release. However, not all of the tracks will be released for fans at once.

“We’re actually finishing it up this week, so sooner rather than later” -Skrillex

The duo plan to release a handful of tracks now, and keep a few hidden for later use and release. Back home, the OWSLA team is working on launching a number of new projects so fans can look forward to new projects from Wiwek and Kill The Noise in the new future.

You can check out Billboards interview with Skrillex below:

As we excitedly wait for Jack Ü’s upcoming release, here’s “Take Ü There”.


Khairy Jamaluddin Jokes About Speaking Mandarin Fluently After Getting Sinovac Vaccine

YB Khairy Jamaluddin made history this week by becoming the first Malaysian to receive the Sinovac anti-Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday (18th March).

One thing that caught the public’s attention, though, would be Khairy’s reaction half an hour after taking the jab. The Minister of Science, Technology and Information jokingly remarked that he has also improved his fluency in Mandarin!

During a press conference held at the Rembau Hospital, KJ kicked off the event by speaking in Mandarin, prior to explaining the meaning. “I mentioned earlier that I have received the Sinovac vaccine and my Mandarin is now suddenly very fluent,” the politician commented.

KJ also shared a 24-second clip on his social media, addressing members of the public following the vaccination. “I feel good. No matter what type of vaccine it is, it is safe. Let us defeat the virus together. Protect yourself, protect everyone,” he wrote on the post.

When asked on why he chose the Sinovac vaccine over the Pfizer BioNTech, the 45-year-old clarified that he wanted to show Malaysians that the vaccine is also safe and effective. According to him, “I chose Sinovac because my other friends are taking the latter one. A lot of Malaysians said the vaccine is safe, but they’re not really sure about other vaccines.”

“So, I said ‘Okay, I’ll take this vaccine (Sinovac) so that they can see the minister in charge of coordinating the national immunisation program is also getting vaccinated,” the Rembau Member of Parliament was quoted as saying. For those interested, feel free to watch the full session here:

Hopefully, KJ’s effort will help in encouraging more people to get vaccinated, so that we can finally get rid of the Covid-19 virus once and for all.


#SmirnoffIceBlack: Newly Launched Smirnoff Ice Variant Brings Chills & Thrills

GAB has launched its newest flavoured pre-mixed offering: Smirnoff Ice Black. The new addition joins Smirnoff Ice, which was launched last year, to further diversify the brand’s flavour options.

The new variant is packaged in a clear and black appearance to reflect the perfect Ice Black drinker – sophisticated, enigmatic and ready for fun. Its sharp lime taste adds a crisp bite and provides a clean finish on the palette.

It is best served chilled, especially during memorable occasions.

Smirnoff Ice Black is the next generation of perfectly crafted pre-mixed alcoholic drinks with refreshing-tasting flavors. It caters to the edgy, the adventurous and the curious, and who want to level up experiences at social events.

In conjunction with the launch, the public experienced the Smirnoff Ice Black at the highly anticipated Halloween Party at the re-established Zouk, on 31st October 2015. Guests were encouraged to bring out their dark side this Halloween by donning their best “sensual vampire” costumes.

Chase the thrills with Smirnoff Ice Black via their Facebook page.

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LDP Travellers To Use Alternative Route Due To Roads Closure

Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) has announced that several roads at KM 20-21 heading northbound of the Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP), near the Naza Kia showroom, will be temporarily closed to facilitate construction of the Ampang LRT Line Extension Project.

The closure will begin from 15th Jan – 31st Jan 2015.

The temporary closure will take place from 12am to 6am at the slip road from Bandar Puchong Jaya to Bandar Sunway and two left lanes from Bandar Puchong Jaya to Old Klang Road.

Motorists from Bandar Puchong Jaya to Bandar Sunway will be guided to use the alternative route via the ramp/elevated highway towards Bandar Sunway while motorists from Bandar Puchong Jaya can still use the remaining one lane to Old Klang Road.

For more information, call MyRapid’s helpline at 03-78852585.


Vanguard: Jackie Chan Almost Drowned While Filming Jet Ski Scene

It’s no secret that Jackie Chan prefers executing his own stunts whenever possible. However, the Hong Kong star might have bite off more than he can chew, when he almost drowned during the filming of his latest film, “Vanguard”.

According to China.org.cn, the incident happened during the filming of a jet ski scene, where the 65-year-old found himself being trapped under a rock. It was scary when the actor realised that he was unable to free himself and almost died. Thankfully, he was rescued shortly after.

Recollecting the incident at a recent press conference of the film in Beijing (on 18th December 2019), the legendary actor told reporters that he willed himself to remain calm, despite his dire situation. This has allowed him to keep on smiling when he was eventually pulled out of the waters, to comfort those on set that were in shocked by the incident.

One of them was the film director Stanley Tong. Tong revealed that he was on the shore when it happened, and was in a state of complete panic before he found out the “Rush Hour” actor made it back safely. He said, “I saw Jackie saved and when he emerged out of the water, I just could not hold back my tears.”

Rest assured that the danger of the situation was not lost on “The Foreigner” star, as he would later realised how lucky he was to have gotten out alive. “When I took a shower later that night and remembered the incident, I suddenly felt really scared and started shaking. I was thinking about how I could have so easily died,” Chan added.

Of course, this was not the first time the Hong Kong star had a brush with death. As aforementioned, he is known to rarely use a body double and CGI in any of his films. This meant that he usually carry out many dangerous stunts we see on screen, and he has the scars and bruises to prove it.

If you are really curious on how dangerous the scene was, then why not consider checking “Vanguard” when it opens in cinemas on 25th January 2020.


Are You Ready To Make Memories With Red Soul?

Not many people have heard of them but K-pop fans as we know ’em are anything but oblivious! Right?

Red Soul has been active for the six years in various music festivals and competitions in Korea. In 2007, they won Korea’s Acapella Competition and immediately gained mass appeal. Then, everything went a little bit out of control (but in the best ways) after they were featured twice in Korea’s famous variety show “Star King”  – it immediately propelled them to massive popularity.

Here. Watch their take on the popular “This Love” by Maroon 5:

[youtube id=”4o0DT2ZI124″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Well, we certainly didn’t it expect it to be covered that way!

Known for their eclectic and fresh acapella uptake on famous contemporary music, the group mainly performs for niche clients in Korea due to the nature of their genre but they have strong “viral-based” international fans.

And their aim? To redefine “acapella” and to create memorable memories for their fans via their performances.

The question is, are you ready to create memorable memories with them? Because they will be greeting their Malaysian fans in both Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu!

[youtube id=”MQhQqUKhz48″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Venue: Fullhouse, Sunway Giza, Petaling Jaya

Venue: Bentley Music Auditorium, Petaling Jaya

All performances are open to public so people, this is your chance to experience Red Soul‘s charismatic and powerful vocals live!

Fans will also be given a chance to buy their albums and snag some autographs. On top of making memories with the super talented K-pop musicians, of course.

For more information, hit up M.E. Malaysia’s Facebook page.

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Here Comes The Playboy Bride

It’s official – Playboy tycoon and boss Hugh Hefner has wed his girlfriend Crystal Harris. This is is third marriage – he was married to Mildred Williams from 1949 to 1959, and then Kimberly Conrad in 1989. Hugh divorced Kimberly in 2010. Maybe third time’s a charm, eh?

The 86-year-old gajillionaire and 26-year-old model-turned-lingerie store owner exchanged vows at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California. But of course. Where else? Right?

Their relationship was highly publicized since they were originally set to walk down the aisle last year. Although that original plan didn’t follow through, the couple reconciled in May and Hefner proposed again. Crystal, as excited as she is after previously getting cold feet and calling off the wedding, stuck to this one all calm and collected.

Not without updating about her big day with multiple tweets via her Twitter account though. She posted various “insights” into her beautiful wedding day which included pictures of flowers, the setting up of the alter, and other posts:

Aww. What better way to end 2012 and ring in the new year?


Let The Games Begin!

They said that the first half an hour or so felt like a history lesson as the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics kicked off with a walk through the era of the Industrial Revolution. But it was only a small part of the genius that director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”, “Trainspotting”) had in mind to put on a show worthy of an entry in history books.

The grand opening of the London 2012 Olympic Games was, of course, grand. It was filled with dancers, acrobats, LED lights, fireworks, puppets and mascots, dancers, and more than 10, 000 crème de la crème athletes from around the world.

But like all grand openings, this one wasn’t any less expensive. Okay, maybe less than half as expensive as 2008’s Beijing Olympics. The entire shebang costs a reported $42 million. Imagine that!

And because it was held in London, you can only imagine the soundtrack.

Yup. Background music consisting of plenty of “works” from Muse, Blur, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Underworld (electronic dance music!) and even the late Amy Winehouse. All part and parcel of Britain’s pop culture, of course.

After the “show”, 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth II officially declared the games of the 30th Olympiad open, which automatically cued the Olympic torch to be brought into the stadium by Sir Steven Redgrave after it was passed on to him by Britain’s soccer pride, David Beckham.

The London Olympics’ opening ceremony was then brought to a close by Sir Paul McCartney (what did we say about the Beatles?).

We might not have been present in Stratford’s Olympic Park, but we were one of the billions watching around the globe who simply couldn’t tear their eyes away from the sporting extravaganza.

If you missed it, do yourself a favour and watch it here. And as they all say, “Let the games begin!”

For more videos, hit up the Official Olympic Channel on YouTube here.


Barney’s Creator’s Son Arrested For Attempted Murder

You know that annoyingly cute song that purple dinosaur from that popular kids show years ago? The one that you hate to admit you know like the back of your hand? Oh, you know, the one that goes like:

I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won’t you say you love me too?

Yeah, well, it seems that Sheryl Leach, the creator of “Barney and Friends”, has just found herself needing to swallow all of ‘em lyrics whole when her son was arrested recently for murder. Or rather, for attempted murder.

Her 27-year-old son, Patrick Leach, apparently shot an unidentified neighbour in the chest with a large-caliber handgun 9th January. Following which, he was then arrested in Agoura Hills, California. The victim, on the other hand, was taken in critical condition to a nearby hospital and was expected to recover.

According to the LA Country sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore, Patrick allegedly fled in a vehicle after the incident. They found in soon after though, and didn’t think twice before booking him. Patrick was later released in lieu of $1 million bail, which was cause for concern among neighbours.

Whitmore also commented, “We are currently monitoring the situation. We are doing our very best to keep that individual and neighbourhood in our sights”. However, he didn’t reveal the details or the nature of the ongoing dispute between Patrick Leach and his neighbor nor could he say how long the two had been arguing.

Whoops. Shooter on the loose? And it looks like there isn’t much “I love you, you love me”s after all, huh?

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Hype’s Now Playing: EXO – Call Me Baby

EXO-Ls, you’ve waited since forever for this day to come – and now it’s finally here. And it’s likely that you won’t get enough of this.

SM Entertainment has released the official music videos for EXO’s “Call Me Baby”, a track off their new album, “EXODUS“. Some of you might have already seen fancams of the boys performing the song during their 2nd solo concert, “EXO Planet #2 – The EXO’luXion“ in Seoul.

Before we get on to the “Call Me Baby” music videos, let’s talk a little bit about “EXODUS”:

A total of 20 different versions of the album will be made available for the fans and each version would feature different member for its cover. Fans can either choose to buy the Korean version, the Chinese version, or both versions of the album. Fans who are planning to collect all 10 of them are encouraged to put the albums side by side because the spine of the albums would reveal EXO logo when they are placed together in a set.

The packaging of the Korean album is gold while the Chinese album is in grey. Each album will consist of a poster, a random autographed photo card, and a photobook booklet of 52 pages. The booklet is a mix of the lyrics and thank you notes from the EXO members.

As expected, the members are ever so charismatic with their perfect-to-a-tee choreography and their intense expressions. Hardcore K-Pop fan or not, we’re pretty sure that this will win over the hearts of existing fans and perhaps, new ones too.

Watch both the Korean as well as the Chinese version below:

Love it or..not so much? Let us know what you think in the comments box below!

EXO is set to make their comeback onstage through Mnet M! Countdown on 2nd April. Also, for the first-time ever, SM Entertainment released EXO’s “EXODUS” on Spotify, allowing fans to listen to the songs before purchasing the album.

For more information, visit EXO-K’s Facebook page or EXO-M’s Facebook page.


Englishjer’s Qayyum Jumadi Under Fire For Over 10 Sexual Abuse Cases

The founder of Twitter account Englishjer, Qayyum Jumadi came under fire this week for multiple allegations of sexual harassment cases.

A Twitter user took to social media to spill that more than 10 women have fallen victim to this predator!

Based on the screenshots uploaded by her on the thread above, many have shared similar stories of being Qayyum’s victim over the past several years. One of the victims revealed that he proceeded to record their sexual intercourse without her consent. Additionally, there was also a lady who claimed that he often sent nude photos of himself.

In response, Qayyum then took to his Twitter to clarify the situation. He acknowledged his fault as well as apologised to all the people affected by his past mistakes. According to him, “I realised that I am a potential danger to everyone and so I have decided to remove myself from society.”

Feel free to read his full statements here:

In the meantime, the people at Englishjer have revealed their decision to shut down the language learning platform’s official social media accounts as well as its website within 3 days.

As of now, its official Twitter and Instagram have already been deactivated.

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JOOX Debuts JOOX Originals In Conjunction With 5th Anniversary

JOOX listeners now have something extra to look forward music streaming platform.

Earlier this week, JOOX Originals was launched to showcase JOOX Malaysia’s commitment in supporting the local music scene. Over the past few years, JOOX found that Malaysians have been streaming English music the most, followed by Malay, Korean and Chinese songs.

A post shared by JOOX Malaysia (@joox_my)

There’s also been an increasing demand for local content as some of the top 10 most streamed songs on JOOX in Malaysia last year came from homegrown artists including Andi Bernadee, Azarra Band, Hafiz Suip and Naim Daniel. This is turn has open the door for JOOX Originals to curate for local music as part of its 2020 plan.

Rockstar Faizal Tahir is leading the first phase, having recently produced original songs for Queen of Ballads Dayang Nurfaizah, new R&B duo FML and Sophia Liana of famous girl group DeFam. Hopefully with the launch of JOOX Originals, it can be an empowering platform for Malaysian talent to thrive and gain recognition in the music industry.

For more information about JOOX, check out the link here.


#ChaosWalking: “Star Wars” Actress Daisy Ridley To Star In Novel-Turned-Movie

Who’s up for another novel-turned-movie?

Variety has confirmed that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star Daisy Ridley will be starring in Lionsgate’s upcoming movie, “Chao Walking”. The film will be helmed by Doug Liman, who directed “The Bourne Identity” and “Edge of Tomorrow”, while Jamie Linden will pen the script.

Based on Patrick Ness’ best-selling young-adult novel, “Chaos Walking: The Knife of Never Letting Go” (2008). The book is the first book in a trilogy and it is set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts.

The story revolves around the only boy named Todd Hewitt in a town of men, who makes a startling discovery that forces him to flee with only his dog in hand. With the townspeople in pursuit, the duo stumbles upon a strange and silent girl known as Viola Eade. They set off on a white-knuckle journey in which the boy must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

According to Variety, Daisy has already wrapped production on the next “Star Wars” film and she recently attached herself to the remake of the Israel pic “Kolma” and “The Lost Wife”.

No casting details or a release date for “Chaos Walking” have been confirmed, but we’ll be updating this post with more information as soon as we get ’em details ;)


Captain Marvel: 10 New Photos Featuring Old Favourites & New Characters

Before the Avengers take down Thanos in next year’s “Avengers 4”, movie-goers will get to witness Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 1st solo female film. As the most powerful hero, there’s no doubt Captain Marvel will be an instrumental for the franchise in moving forward.

A post shared by Brie Larson (@brielarson)

The first wave of marketing promo has hit the internet courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. Fans can also get the first official look at Brie Larson in costume as Captain Marvel in all her high-flying glory. And dang, does she look good!

In addition to Larson as the titular character, there are the infamous shapeshifting villains called the Skrulls, led by Ben Mendelsohn’s villainous Talos. 2 familiar faces will be on the good guy’s team – Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg will be reprising their roles, this time as the younger versions of Nick Fury and Agent Coulson. Ah, the wonders of de-aging CG.

On the Kree side of things, Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou are also reprising their “Guardians of the Galaxy” roles of Ronan the Accuser and Korath the Pursuer. Besides the duo, there are a couple of new characters: Kree scientist Dr. Minn-Erva, Carol Danvers’ old friend Maria Rambeau, together with mystery character played by Annette Bening.

The first CAPTAIN MARVEL official still gives a great look at the hero's classic suit! pic.twitter.com/taVf0xhF5s

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) September 5, 2018

An official new CAPTAIN MARVEL still reveals our first look at the villaionus Skrulls, led by Ben Mendelsohn's Talos! pic.twitter.com/ugpnY81YoB

A side-by-side showing how the live-action Skrull design in CAPTAIN MARVEL compares to the look from the comics: pic.twitter.com/8Q4FcCylgp

A behind-the-scenes picture from CAPTAIN MARVEL showing actor Ben Mendelson's shape-shifting character Talos in his human-form along with co-directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden: pic.twitter.com/nt05vu7Mqv

Carol Danvers is rocking a S.H.I.E.L.D. cap and a "Nine Inch Nails" t-shirt in this new CAPTAIN MARVEL still! pic.twitter.com/8C0pFPVv9b

Our first look at Carol Danver's oldest friend and fellow Air Force pilot, Maria "Photon" Rambeau, in the CAPTAIN MARVEL movie! pic.twitter.com/IiFYxUEB15

Captain Carol Danvers. #CaptainMarvel pic.twitter.com/30AK7KTSuo

The first look at actor Jude Law as Mar-Vell / Walter Lawson alongside @brielarson's Carol Danvers in this official new CAPTAIN MARVEL still! pic.twitter.com/gCkOW2gjrs

Mar-Vell & Captain Marvel, from page to film. #CaptainMarvel pic.twitter.com/2Lv5vpgJfi

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) September 6, 2018

The big bad from GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Ronan the Accuser (played by Lee Pace), returns to the MCU next year, seen here in the center with Jude Law's Mar-Vell and co-director Anna Boden in this CAPTAIN MARVEL set photo! pic.twitter.com/r8Vv6YB99C

This new CAPTAIN MARVEL official still shows off Captain Marvel with the elite military team, Starforce (which includes Korath from GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) and a look at Ronan the Accuser (left)! pic.twitter.com/ATKwZFKcQ3

Nick Fury is two-eyed and younger in this first look at a de-aged @SamuelLJackson in CAPTAIN MARVEL! pic.twitter.com/BjCH2xXqHt

“This is not a superhero who’s perfect or otherworldly or has some godlike connection. But what makes her special is just how human she is. She’s funny, but doesn’t always tell good jokes. And she can be headstrong and reckless and doesn’t always make the perfect decisions for herself. But at her core, she has so much heart and so much humanity — and all of its messiness,” Anna Boden on Larson’s character.

“Captain Marvel” will debut on 8th March 2019.

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250,000 Twitter Accounts Hacked

After a week of high-profile hacks against giant US companies such as the New York Times Co. and News Corp (home to newspaper the Wall Street Journal), comes another attack. It was revealed that micro-blogging website, Twitter, has fallen victim to hackers. Tens of thousands of Twitter users, including the BBC’s technology correspondent, have had their accounts compromised.

Staff of Twitter said that they shut down one attack moments after it was detected but the hackers still managed to steal 250,000 users’ login names, e-mail addresses, and encrypted passwords. Following which, Twitter reset the compromised passwords and sent e-mail informing affected users.

It is believed that the attack was neither the work of amateurs not an isolated incident as the hackers were extremely sophisticated. However, the company didn’t reveal any information or knowledge about the identity or motivation of these hackers. Meanwhile, Bob Lord (Twitter’s director of security) suggested that users adopted better “security hygiene”:

We encourage all users to take this opportunity to ensure that they are following good password hygiene, on Twitter and elsewhere on the internet. Make sure you use a strong password – at least 10 (but more is better) characters and a mixture of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

He has also suggested that Twitter users disable Java plug-ins inside their web browsers since the software is known to be particularly vulnerable to hacks.


Macau Scam Mastermind That Escaped MACC HQ Spent RM4 Million Monthly On Bribes

The police are on the lookout for 32-year-old Goh Leong Yong who jumped the fence of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building recently.

Sources have also revealed that the “Macau Scam” mastermind spent up to RM4 million monthly on bribing authorities.

According to Utusan Malaysia, Goh (who used a fake “Datuk Seri” title) allocated around RM2 million to RM4 million of his money per month to bribe authorities to stay silent about his illegal acts. It was reported that up to 100 individuals had received money from Goh including police officers, influential figures, and even government officials.

Those involved were allegedly paid off to protect both his “Macau Scam” and online gambling site activities. He also paid these irresponsible people in exchange for vital information on matters such as raids that were pre-planned by the authorities.

The individuals involved are currently being detained and investigated by the MACC, who are attempting to fully crack down the entire “Macau Scam” operation. Recently, it was revealed that Goh earns RM1.08 billion a year from the syndicate’s illegal activities, which has been running for the past five to six years, as per Utusan Malaysia.

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is currently on the man-hunt for Goh and have released an official “wanted” poster. Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed stated that the suspect’s last known location was at a condominium in Jalan Cheras.

Huzir requested anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to contact any police station and noted that “the cooperation of the public is much appreciated.”

Sources: Malay Mail, Utusan Malaysia, The Star


#Travel: Steals & Deals At The Taiwan Travel Fair In Sunway Pyramid Next Month!

Taiwan Tourism Bureau Kuala Lumpur Office (TTBKL) will once again be hosting Taiwan Travel Fair, one of the most anticipated travel fairs in the country.

The 2nd edition of the travel fair will be held at LG2 Orange Concourse, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall from 13th – 15th May 2016 and will offer travel enthusiasts the attractive holiday packages to Taiwan.

At the launch, Director of TTBKL David Tsao said, “We are delighted to once again organise Taiwan Travel Fair in Malaysia. The inaugural event last year was well-received, resulting in a total of 431,481 Malaysians visiting Ilha Formosa. We are confident that this year’s event will again be another sterling success.”

TTBKL has tied-up with top Malaysian and Taiwanese travel agencies to offer a variety of holiday packages and travel deals that that are ideal for Malaysian families. On top of that, there are also customised tour packages for Muslim tourists.

“Taiwan is an ideal destination of travel for everybody. Foodies will be able to explore the night markets for delicious and varied street food at reasonable prices while shopaholics can realise their dream as they will be able to shop for the latest fashion as well as products of quality at affordable prices. As for those who practice the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability or LOHAS, Taiwan has breath-taking landscapes and coastal highways that are beautiful as well as bicycle-friendly,” he concluded.

At Taiwan Travel Fair 2016, visitors are also able to immerse themselves in a unique cultural performance by the Grammy-nominated Ten Drum Art Percussion Group, as well as be amazed at Taiwan’s first female modern stunt group, AC Girl. Visitors can also take part in the Taiwan Lantern and Leisure Farms Do-It-Yourself activities and also sample some of Taiwan’s famous street food.

Visitor who purchased travel package at the fair will receive a Scratch Card with attractive prizes to be won including Star Cruise packages, air tickets sponsored by Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines and EVA Air; free accommodations by hotel and resort partners; as well as entrance tickets to theme parks. In addition, a free gift will be given out to those who purchase tour packages at the Fair.

A special gift will also be given to the first 500 Sunway Pals who present their membership card each day.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.

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