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Google's shopping spree continues. This time they've picked up a company called DocVerse, whose software will eventually allow seamless interoperability between Google Docs and Microsoft Office. That's right, Microsoft... the call is coming from inside the house.

You can already store and share Office files through Google Docs, but DocVerse adds the functionality of letting users collaborate directly on Office documents. As the crowing Google Blog puts it:

DocVerse is a small, nimble team of talented developers who share our vision, and they've enabled true collaboration right within Microsoft Office. With DocVerse, people can begin to experience some of the benefits of web-based collaboration using the traditional Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint desktop applications.

Current DocVerse users won't be affected, but you won't be able to sign up for a new account until Google figures out exactly how they're going to incorporate the company. Of course, Microsoft was moving Office to the cloud on their own anyway; it's just that it'll be a bit more crowded there than they'd thought. It's official, though: even productivity software is a battleground now. [Google Blog via TechCrunch]

The funeral for Internet Explorer 6, one of the older members of the Microsoft family, was a pleasant affair with only a few protestors. Unfortunately representatives of the family were unable to attend and sent flowers and a note instead:

Thanks for the good times, IE6. See you all @ MIX, where we'll show a little piece of IE heaven.
-The Internet Explorer Team @ Microsoft

IE6's funeral arrangements—right down to the photographer— were made by design company Aten Design Group. They actually made it into a rather decent looking event:

Rest in peace, IE6. Even if we were enemies half the time. [Flickr via TechCrunch]

The Maldives, a small nation consisting of 1,200 islands is gradually disappearing as sea levels rise. In an attempt to save the place, their government has signed off on the development of several "floating facilities" like this one.

Dutch Docklands/Dutch Watervalley, makers of many floating homes, are the starry-eyed folks working with the Maldives government on this project and they intend on creating tiered—and yes, star-shaped—mini-cities which won't be bothered by rising sea levels.

There doesn't appear to be a timeline for the project yet, but I'm assuming they'll get around to completing it before the entire nation disappears. [Inhabitat]

While he was talking about cloud computing yesterday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made a casual remark about the future of the Xbox. Apparently there might be new form factors, options, and price points coming:

In the case of the TV we've got both strategies. We actually have a TV implementation in some senses built into Windows," Ballmer said. "It works really well for small screen TVs that you might call a PC, but for that big screen device here's a piece of hardware that we build, there's no diversity. You get exactly the Xboxes that we build for you. We may have more form factors in the future that are designed for various price points and options, but we think it's going to [be] important.

This doesn't give us a timeline or even any actual details, but at least it fuels speculation about all the things we desire and may get at some point. [GearLog via CrunchGear]

First, man made the analog clock. Then he made the digital clock. Then, just because he could, he made the funky cross between the two that looks like a digital clock but has moving mechanical parts like an analog one.

Art Lebedev, the patron saint of cool concepts that will never be manufactured as real products, has applied his unique genius to the world of timekeeping. The result is Segmentus, a clock that uses swinging plastic segments to replicate LCD-style numbers.

OK, the numbers aren't always the easiest to read—this is particularly annoying for those of us who thought that digital clocks would always be a safe harbor in the confusing and often embarrassing world of analog timekeeping—but, hey, it's art. Er, Art. [Art Lebedev via SlashGear]

Mindflex, the brandwave-detecting game, will probably give you a headache no matter what. But Harcos Labs decided to take it further, with a hacked Mindflex that shocks you when you concentrate too hard. The result: science, and hilarious shock videos.

The original Mindflex headset indicates how hard you're concentrating with a series LEDs. But with a little ingenuity and an electroshock kit, the devilish geniuses at Harcos turned it into something of a torture device:

Harcos hooked up the leads of the LEDs to a transistor/resistor relay network so they'd instead activate an electric-shock kit made by QKit. The end result? Concentrate a little, and you'll get zapped a little. Concentrate hard, and you'll get an electrical pulse that will make you think you've wandered onto the set of Green Mile.

Of course, the more worried you are about getting shocked, the higher the voltage. Which is cruel. And unusual. And so much fun to watch. [Wired]

This man is tightening a mold in a Samsung factory in Kaluga, Russia. Inside that mold is a portion of what will soon be a television. Let's take a tour of the rest of the factory.

Samsung opened this particular factory in 2008 and its been putting out products ever since. Aside from quality inspections, it appears that from the moment components arrive in gigantic sacks from Korea nearly everything is automated in this factory—from hot plastic being piped into molds to microcircuits being produced to the little logos being stamped onto panels. Humans mostly oversee the production and yes, occasionally tighten molds. Guess we're still needed for something. [English Russia]

This is upsetting. A South Korean couple was arrested for starving their baby to death, reportedly only feeding her once a day after marathon sessions at an internet cafe. What was keeping them so busy? Their virtual baby.

Yeah. The couple, who met on the internet (warning sign?), dutifully raised a young girl named Anima in the virtual world of Prius Online, a sort of South Korean Second Life. Not so dutifully raised was their real daughter, a prematurely born infant who only received powdered milk feedings as an afterthought following her parents' 12 hour days at the local internet cafe.

Twelve hours of virtual escapism a day is probably unhealthy in and of itself, but when its taking the place of your real responsibilities, well, it's probably time to log off. [CNN via BoingBoing]

Learning to play the piano has lingered on my to-do list for a long time. But watching this video of the Clavilux 2000 keyboard generating a spectacular light show in real time, I might have to make it a priority.

The Clavilux is a digital keyboard rigged up to a projector, letting the audience see the music they're hearing. And it really is the music they're seeing: each stripe of light corresponds directly to a key that is struck, the individual bands representing the velocity and length of each note played.

The notes are assigned colors, as well, giving a visual overview of the harmony of the piece. Play a note that's out of key and its color will contrast with the bigger picture.

The player can switch between two types of visualization. A 2D view results in the colorful barcode seen above while a 3D view resembles the cockpit view of some spaceship jumping into hyperdrive.

The Clavilux 2000 is the brainchild of Jonas Heuer, the same guy who put together the Noteput, an awesome interactive musical table. Music has always been a joy to listen to, but Heuer's work lets the other senses get in on the action, to spectacular effect. [Infosthetics]

In his hundred-word inquiry to Steve Jobs as to whether or not the iPad will tether to the iPhone, Jezper Söderlund started by saying, "I'll keep it short." Steve's response kept it really short: "No." Updated: Is Jobs wrong?

OK, Steve's answer hardly comes as a surprise, but I'm always tickled when there's a report of Steve Jobs responding personally to someone's e-mail. I imagine him sitting on the can, flicking idly on his iPhone, and finally deciding to open that massive folder of his inbox where all the e-mail from the plebs gets redirected. Oh, what's this?

I'll keep it short.

I'm Jezper from Sweden, a long time Apple fan, currently about to replace the very last computer at home with a brand spanking new iMac i7. I'm also awaiting the release of the iPad. However, I have one question:

Will the wifi-only version somehow support tethering thru my iPhone?

Two devices, based on the same OS, with already built-in technology to share one data plan suggests a secondary contract could possibly be redundant.

From the look of your keynote, where the iPad sits well between my MacBook Pro and my iPhone, I was hoping the three of them could interact as seamless as possible.

All the best,
Jezper Söderlund

Whether or not he knew that Jezper was a Swedish DJ of some acclaim (he didn't), King Steve couldn't be bothered to type more than a single word before he rose up off his throne.

No.

Sent from my iPhone

What do we learn from this? 1. You won't be able to skimp on an iPad data plan by tethering to your iPhone. 2. There's still the outside chance that someday "sjobs@apple.com" will pop up before your eyes, delivering a disappointingly terse (but change of pants-requiring nonetheless) message directly to your inbox. [9 to 5 Mac]

Update: Assuming his response is the real deal, we're wondering if Steve might be a little bit confused about how his precious gadgets actually work. The iPhone officially supports tethering, just not in the United States. But we can't see any reason why the iPhone shouldn't be able to share its connection with the iPad on international carriers that do support tethering (seeing as DJ Jezper is from Sweden, he could well be a costumer of one of them). In any event, it seems like Steve's answer isn't only short but perhaps just plain wrong.

They say that, to make an omelet, you're going to have to break some eggs. Well, today Nice Price or Crack Pipe has an egg-shaped Mercedes, and if you want to make it, you'll need to break out twelve grand.

Small, turbo'd and phone booth-thin ruled the day yesterday, as, in a 60/40 split, we finally had our first nice price win this week. That Honda City Turbo II Bulldog has a name longer than the car, but it's still so cute you want to pick it up and squeeze it ‘til its little headlights pop out. Equally adorable, and similarly not from around here, comes our current contender, and like the Volvo from earlier this week- it's a diesel.

When Mercedes Benz jumped on the white pony that was the then nascent, and VW-abandoned, Swatch Car project, they became addicted to one-box cars. Recognizing that the world didn't just need V12 two-seaters and OPEC-enriching sedans, they embarked on the development of a product that would be sized between the Southwest Airlines single seat-approved Smart - which is so small it could conceivably be lost in Kevin Smith's butt crack - and the C-Class, which might be modestly affected by Smith's gravitational field, but would not be eclipsed by his trenchcoated presence.

That effort resulted in the A-Class, an example of which is today's gray market special. Originally sold in Der Fatherland, this 2001 A170 CDI Elegance was brought over in 2005 to a nation bereft of low-sulfur diesel and road signs that spoke its speedo's language. Today, that sweet diesel, so common in its birthplace, is available at many domestic gas stations, ready to quench its super-model thirst. Pumping that black gold into the tank feeds a 1,689-cc turbo diesel four cylinder that cranks out 88-bhp and 133 ft-lbs of twist. The 5-speed manumatic helps the 2,460-lb car get to sixty from a standstill in about 12 seconds, and all the way up to a rev-limited 112-mph top speed. That uber-efficient drivetrain should let the one-box four seater get mileage in the 40s and 50s, which ain't half bad. And while you're getting that great mileage you'll be wrapped in some of the same kind of MB luxury as the big boys- although the dash is kinda' crappy.

Not only is this a one-box car, but it's one of the one-boxiest. In fact, rocking a drag coefficient of just .30, you could paint it white and it would look like something that dropped from the nether regions of chickenzilla. Thankfully, this A170 is blue, and, seeing as it's nearly ten years old, is showing some signs of wear and tear- a scraped fender here, a cracked windscreen there - but nothing that would necessarily keep it off the road. Of course, if you chose to take it on that same road, you'd need to figure out how to keep it there, as your friendly neighborhood MB dealer would react to seeing it in it in a similar fashion to a burning bag of butt nuggets left on the service department's doorstep. But there must be somebody around who can fix these things, after all it's rocking Cali plates, meaning somebody's been driving it around here for a while. And in that while, they likely added to the miles, which presently total 67,000.

Much like yesterday's Honda, it's hard to grasp just how small this baby benz is from the pictures, but the A-Class is tiny. At less that 150-inches long, it comes in 10 inches shy of a VW Golf, a good two-feet less than the contemporary C-Class, and dwarfed by the corpulent Smith.

So, you get it- it's incredibly tiny for a benz, and Kevin Smith now wants to beat the crap out of me, but what does it cost? Well, the seller has put a By-It-Now of $12,000 on the car, and looking around, it's about the only one for sale right now in the states. Over the pond where they use that money with girls on it, one of these - in better shape - will set you back less than half that. Of course, what you're paying for here is the convenience- this car is already here and licensed, so you don't have to go through the hassle and cost of doing either of those.

But is it worth that? What do you think, does $12,000 make this Mercedes an egg over easy? Or, would buying it for that make the yolk on you?

You decide!

eBay or go here if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

Go Faster is a book written by a German university professor on the glory of racing-car graphic design. It looks ferociously cool. Gulf Oil livery, spray-painted models, and cool design-geek video below.

Sven Voelker is a professor at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, and he once helmed Suzuki Motor Corporation's corporate redesign. He's also a racing nerd and a car freak. His book takes a thinky, right-brain look at the world of racing livery.

We haven't seen a copy of the book yet, but the art was too cool to not share. The video below shows Voelker in the Porsche museum and takes a look at the book's unique treatment of design. (The models above were painted white in order to illustrate what the book's cars look like without color.)

"In the '70s, they called it war paint... These cars are not well-designed [in the traditional sense]. They're not perfect graphically, and there's no perfect typography. It's anarchy, it's randomness. There are so many mistakes on these cars, but they're just so cool."

Yeah, this guy gets it.

[Gestalten via Creative Review]

Let's review what's going on here: This is a Model T. It's powered by a Boeing T50/Model 502 gas turbine, the same thing the government once put in helicopters and anti-submarine drones. Now you can buy it on eBay. Gah!

What is it with pre-war Ford people and amazingly cracked-out engine swaps? How does this happen? What prompts an owner to do something as brilliant as this? And if he's on some sort of excellent illegal substance, how would we go about getting a sample?

Let's cut right to the chase. This thing has a control stick. A control stick.

It is a cyclic stick, and it once lived in a Bell 47 helicopter. It also has an ex-Learjet throttle quadrant between the seats. And a Sunstrand hydrostatic pump taken from an International Harvester 715 combine. And a 400-cubic-inch accumulator for steering boost. And an automatic shutdown function in case of low oil pressure. And it makes my brain hurt. And and and.

I have never built anything like this. I have a sudden desire to do so, but maybe purchasing would be more cost-effective. Of course, at that point, I'd have to convert the whole thing to AN plumbing and mil-spec wiring components. Maybe paint it olive drab, add some stenciled warnings, install a Gatling gun on the back, invade a few principalities.

"If it's not what you want, I will gladly refund the deposit. I would be willing to deliver this... Maximum delivery distance to be determined by me and what I might like to see along the way and also if you have a good diner in town with a Stellar Cheeseburger." — Crazy Model T Turbine Guy

Question: What sort of person would buy this thinking that it was something else? ("Dammit, honey, you were supposed to come home with a quart of milk. What the hell am I going to do with this?")

Did you know that Boeing built just 2,461 Model 502-derived turbines from 1947 to 1968? Did you know that more than 300 of them were used in armored Swedish military vehicles? Did you know that, according to Boeing, a Model 502 weighs 625 pounds, burns 32 gallons of fuel per hour at maximum output, and will deliver 300 hp in what we can only assume is combat trim? Did anyone else notice that the fuel tank is a pair of pony kegs?

"When it leaves my property, it's yours, along with any liability that goes with it." — Crazy Model T Turbine Guy

You think a man with a turbine-powered T-bucket could start his own junta?

[eBay]

Paul Jaye beautifully sheds some grass from his 1938 Alta after losing control in the historic Madgwick corner at the 2009 Goodwood Revival. [Photo Credit: markcann1 via fuckyeahcarburetors]

The Aston Martin One-77 is one seriously lusty beast. But, since each of the 77 750HP, 7.3-liter V12-powered supercar cost $1.9 million, video is as close as most anyone will get. Well, video seemingly produced in the 1980s.

Are hybrid supercars a lie? Or, instead, the next step in motoring evolution? We have channeled the spirit of America’s favorite foulmouthed cartoon character into our European intern to explain their presence at the Geneva Motor Show (NSFW).

Missing German Porsche tuner Uwe Gemballa is now under investigation by authorities in Stuttgart on suspicion of financial impropriety. Also, his family's suspended the reward for information regarding his whereabouts. Both revelations will turbocharge rumors he's not a kidnapping victim.

Gemballa, famous for tuning Porches and other exotics, was reported missing in mid-February after flying to Johannesburg, South Africa. Upon arrival, he immediately called his wife asking for money because of an "accident." This was the last anyone has reported hearing from Gemballa. However, since the first reports, we've learned he formed a new company with his mother before he left and filed for insolvency for his original one.

None of this is proof he's staged his disappearance, but this report from Auto Service Praxis that he's under investigation for not filing for insolvency in the appropriate amount of time — called "insolvenzverschleppung" (best financial crime name ever!) or "delayed filing for insolvency" — adds to the mountain of circumstantial evidence he was in financial trouble before he vanished.

There's also a report from Stuttgarter-Zeitung claiming police have returned from South Africa empty-handed. However, the report did add two key details. The first is that the man who met Uwe Gemballa at the airport was reportedly fugitive Czech billionaire Radovan Krejcir. The second — and probably more damning? His family's apparently suspended the 10,000 Euro reward for information regarding his location.

[Auto Service Praxis, Stuttgarter-Zeitung]

Photo Credit: Autobild.de

Many great movie cars often come from car movies, like Steve McQueen's 'Stang from Bullitt, James Bond's Aston Martin and The Bandit's Screaming Chicken. But not all of them. What's your favorite non-car movie movie car?

Maybe it's because we were up after midnight last night watching TCM. Maybe it's because we just love Volvos. Maybe it's because we're Watergate freaks. Whatever the reason, we're picking Bob Woodward's gray Volvo 122S from All The President's Men. In addition to being a great car in its own right, and a great film, has a car ever so perfectly matched the characters? It's great car casting. The conservative bachelor's car for Woodward with just a bit of Euro flair with shabby Bernstein smoking like a Pontiac in the passenger's seat.

Oh there are so many. What's your favorite non-car movie movie car?

(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of the Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)

Photo Credit: IMCDB.org

These ten cars — the March Forza Motorsport 3 DLC — constitute the first of our two Jalopnik-branded downloadable content packs. You came, you saw, you guessed, and you just might have won. Our exclusive look at the cars below.

A quick refresher: Jalopnik is working with Turn 10 Studios to bring you two custom download packs for the Xbox 360 game Forza Motorsport 3. One pack was chosen by you, the Jalopnik commenters; it consists of weird old racing and street cars. The second pack, a group of newer vehicles, was chosen by Jalopnik and Turn 10 staff. We hinted at it over the course of the past week with a slow-burn contest.

Now it's time to reveal the results. The winners — the commenters who gave the correct make and model first for each car — will receive a copy of Forza Motorsport 3 along with a copy of the download pack. The next two people with the correct answer will receive a copy of the download pack. This pack will be released this month; the voted-on pack will hit digital shelves later this year.

If you're a winner, drop me a line at sam at jalopnik dot com to find out how to redeem your prize.

That said, here's the real reason you're here — enjoy the cars!

2010 Aston Martin Rapide

Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin's CEO, once worked at Porsche. While he was there, he helped shepherd the 989 — a pretty four-door sedan concept — to the brink of production. The car never saw showrooms, but twenty years later, Porsche released its Panamera just as Bez's boys were finishing up the Rapide. Both are fast, both wear a famous badge, and both seat four people. Only one is gorgeous.

Winner: Chrisdraper2007001

Second Place: excelchan

Third Place: Dolo 54 blows minds and blows engine

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #6)

2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

The V8 Vantage feels like nothing so much as the world's nicest Mustang, a polished piece of just-right British excellence with an American heart. (It has a small-block grumble and a crystal starter button. Is that cool, or what?) The V-12 car replaces the V-8 with the glass-smooth double six from Aston's DB9 and DBS. The finished product sports 510 hp, 420 lb-ft of torque, and a very large, very hairy can of Britain Is Coming To Break Your Face. This is what an Aston should be.

Winner: evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars

Second Place: GuyH65

Third Place: andre_lico

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #9)

2010 Audi TT RS

There is one car in Audi's lineup that draws a direct line back to the original Quattro coupe, one car that lives to claw its way down a winding road to the tune of a yowly, turbocharged five-pot. That car is the TT RS. It is essentially an ordinary all-wheel-drive TT with a 340-hp 2.5-liter turbo five under the hood and a few chassis tweaks. There is little turbo lag. There is also little wheelbase. Love it.

Winner: Jorge Martinez

Second Place: OCTANE-65

Third Place: erdbeerheld

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #10)

2010 BMW Z4 sDrive35is

Excellent engine, refined chassis, 335 hp, and some nifty body parts. Dances well, sounds great, has an overboost function. The standard line is that it's an MZ4 in everything but name (it's not, though that's an argument for another day), but this is irrelevant: M or not, the 35iS is a wonderful car.

Winner: Michi310

Second Place: dwmccall2

Third Place: sparks 87

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #3)

1992 Bugatti EB110SS

The original modern mining of Bugatti's good name. 592 hp, a quad-turbocharged V-12, and a chassis built by Aerospatiale. Like the Veyron, it has little historical connection to le patron, but that doesn't mean that it's not cool. There are two downsides: 1) Parts are crazy expensive (albeit available, thanks to Dauer Sportwagen), and 2) the interior looks like a something out of Russian Lexus copy. You're driving it in a video game. These things do not matter. Dig it.

Winner: bradclark

Second Place: 3.slow

Third Place: lynn54harris

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #5)

Ford GTR ALMS (Robertson Racing)

OK, so it hasn't exactly won a lot of races. Or, you know, any. Who cares? How can you argue with something that looks like this? (Note: See that "D. Murry" on the side? That's David Murry, Porsche racer extraordinaire and the single nicest guy in American motorsport. Hi David!)

Winner: BPC

Second Place: lazaroff

Third Place: Nobody!

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #4)

2010 Honda Civic Type R Mugen

"Wah, wah, wah," you say. "Just another Honda," you say, "and Forza has a lot of Hondas." Baloney. This is the 8500-rpm, built-in-England, 237-hp Mugen Civic Type R. It is an angry, raw, limited-slip-equipped buzzbomb, the kind of thing you send your grandmother out in if you don't want her to come back alive. It is 230 pounds lighter than the ordinary Civic Type R, and it will bite your head off if you so much as look at it funny. Modern Hondas don't come any more insane than this. Quit whining.

Winner: alexyallanovichunderwood

Second Place: Kuang

Third Place: backfire103

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #2)

Jaguar XKR ALMS (Rocketsports Racing)

So Paul Gentilozzi, he of Rocketsports Racing and much IMSA success, is running a factory-backed Jaguar XKR in the American Le Mans Series. It competes against Porsche 911s and Chevrolet Corvettes. It's going to run at Le Mans this year. A Jaguar. At Le Mans. We approve of this on principle.

Winner: carlalsford

Second Place: Nobody!

Third Place: Nobody!

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #8)

Mazda Furai Concept

For the most part, concept cars are not runners. They do not move, they do not see abuse, and they most definitely do not haul ass. The Furai — the name is Japanese for "sound of the wind" — is different. Mazda's coolest show car was built on the bones of a Courage C65 Le Mans prototype; it has a three-rotor, 450-hp, ethanol-friendly Wankel under its rear lid, and it is no stranger to angry motion. Shortly after its debut, members of the press were given high-speed, sphincter-clenching rides in the Furai at Laguna Seca. This is the real deal.

According to several reliable sources, the Furai was recently dismantled by Mazda. Now you can drive it. Go like the sound of the wind.

Winner: zi006

Second Place: EL5

Third Place: CTKHO

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #1)

2010 Porsche 911 Sport Classic

This one is a little goofy. It costs as much as a 911 GT2 but does not offer the same speed or horsepower. It is essentially a warmed-over, limited-edition Carrera S, one with a ducktail spoiler, Carrera 4 rear bodywork, a double-bubble roof, and a few minor engine modifications. But we like it. It has a ducktail. A ducktail, people. Seriously.

Winner: AutobahnBurner

Second Place: porsche9146isreallyporsche914ls9

Third Place: S50B32

The contest page for this car is here. (Car #7)

A dude gets thrown out by his fiancee and is forced to live in his car. But his car's a Porsche! House Porsche! Sounds like a great concept for a TV show to us and Tosh.0 too.

Thanks for the tip, Hotrod356!

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Madeline Bennett, V3.co.uk, Monday 21 December 2009 at 08:45:00

RIM’s latest touch-screen smartphone put through its paces

Research in Motion (RIM) recently launched updates to its main corporate emailer devices, the Bold and the Storm. As I’m a BlackBerry user anyway, I’ve been putting both devices through...

Madeline Bennett, V3.co.uk, Monday 21 December 2009 at 10:45:00

A smaller, lighter upgrade to the original Bold

Research in Motion (RIM) recently launched updates to its main corporate emailer devices, the Bold and the Storm. As I'm a BlackBerry user anyway, I've been putting both devices through...

Rob Kerr, V3.co.uk, Friday 8 January 2010 at 16:23:00

The first mobile phone to use Android 2.0

The Motorola Milestone offers a similar feature set to the firm's previous touch-screen Dext smartphone, with its slide-out Qwerty keyboard and social media functionality, but supports a sleeker overall appearance....

Ian Williams, V3.co.uk, Monday 11 January 2010 at 11:02:00

A look at Acer's first Android handset

The Liquid is Acer's first attempt at an Android phone and, while it's an attractive phone with a few redeeming features, the company's lack of prior experience in this market is apparent....

Rob Kerr, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 12 January 2010 at 08:00:00

A decent 15.6in screen notebook with CPU overclocking, but grainy display and high price tag could put off some buyers

The UL50vs falls under the superior mobility series in Asustek's range of 15in notebooks. The casing of the notebook is fairly attractive if you happen to like black, with its...

Kelvyn Taylor, V3.co.uk, Wednesday 13 January 2010 at 08:00:00

A capable answer to most of the storage, backup and remote access needs of a small or home office

As soon as you start delving into the capabilities of the Windows Home Server OS (WHS) that the HP MediaSmart EX490 runs, you start to realise why Microsoft has had...

Paul Lester, V3.co.uk, Friday 15 January 2010 at 15:09:00

A reader to rival Amazon's Kindle

Amazon's e-book readers are stirring interest in the electronic document format, and iRiver has obviously decided to play it safe with its first crack at this market by aping the...

Paul Lester, V3.co.uk, Monday 18 January 2010 at 08:00:00

A powerful and versatile way to protect sensitive data

Despite continued progression in the fields of security and data protection, 2009 saw a significant rise in incidents of data loss, with 434 organisations filing reports in 12 months, up...

Daniel Robinson, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 19 January 2010 at 15:14:00

The N900 supports voice calls, but is more like a pocket-sized computer than a phone

Nokia's N900 is a Linux-based mobile device with a number of advanced features, including application multi-tasking, built-in VoIP support, stereo speakers, graphics acceleration, video output to a TV, and more....

Kelvyn Taylor, V3.co.uk, Wednesday 20 January 2010 at 09:55:00

A fully-featured router, firewall and VoIP switchboard that can handle up to 50 extensions

If you've ever contemplated migrating your company's phone system to voice-over-IP (VoIP), but shied away due to the perceived expense or complexity, Draytek's new all-in-one Vigor IPPBX 2820 might help...

iriver introduces D1000 'e-dictionary' for Korea originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Engadget's 6th birthday giveaway: 'Gadget of the Year' edition

Engadget's 6th birthday giveaway: 'Gadget of the Year' edition originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: ASUS EB1501U hands-on

Gallery: ASUS EM0501 hands-on

ASUS' EeeBox EB1501U packs ION and USB 3.0, need we say more? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple shares hit record high on iPad shipping announcement originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorola i1: we've seen it, it runs Blur, and it'll likely be out soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Entelligence: Will Android fragmentation destroy the platform?

Entelligence: Will Android fragmentation destroy the platform? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Windows Phone 7 Series demo video reveals new apps, screens

Windows Phone 7 Series demo video reveals new apps, screens originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround

Continue reading NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround eyes-on, triple the fun

NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround eyes-on, triple the fun originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ämne: Re: Dear mr. Jobs
Från: Steve Jobs <sjobs@apple.com>
Datum: 5 mars 2010 17.01.29 CET
Till: Jezper Söderlund <>
Return-Path: <sjobs@apple.com>

No.

Sent from my iPhone.

Hey Steve, can the iPad tether with the iPhone? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How would you change Palm's Pre Plus and Pixi Plus? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you planned on doing any Xbox 360 purchasing this weekend, it might behoove you to cool your jets for at least a few more days. Amazon is listing a new Xbox 360 Elite bundle that's a solid deal.

The 120GB Xbox 360 bundle packs in two 2009 console exclusives, Halo 3: ODST and Forza Motorsport III, plus all the other expected accessories for $299.99 USD. That isn't too shabby. Amazon.com pegs the release of Microsoft's latest bundle for March 9, just a few days away.

Xbox 360 Elite Spring 2010 Forza 3/ Halo 3 ODST Bundle [Amazon - thanks, Khai!]

At least dad here doesn't look like a doofus flailing the Wiimote. He's still got the swervy hands and overbite that indicate the the guy was told to look like he's playing a video game, not actually play one.

We've seen N64's played in a minivan, but it's control scheme was pretty straightforward. I have no idea how the Wii functions in the Toyota Sienna, and whether motion control games are feasible. I'm kind of hoping they are, so Mr. Father-of-the-Year here can fire up the Madworld while they go get the groceries.

The quartet of military misfits introduced in the original Battlefield: Bad Company are back and taking a backseat to a revamped (and far more exciting) multiplayer mode in Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

On the single-player side of things, Marlowe, Sweetwater, Haggard and Sarge find themselves embroiled in a military endeavor that feels way above their level of understanding—appropriately, as the soldiers in B Company are tasked with hunting down a mysterious super-weapon that dates back to World War II. Bad Company 2 does some time jumping, with the game kicking off in Japan during 1940s, then leaping forward to the modern day, bouncing around from frosty locations like Alaska to balmy Bolivia and beyond. Along the way, bald bad guys must be stopped, lest freedom and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are destroyed by a doomsday device in the hands of a madman.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2's multiplayer has clearly been given more priority—just look at the game's box art, which favors a prominent "Battlefield" over the "Bad Company," the direct opposite of the first entry. Or simply play the game, which may be the best multiplayer offering fans of modern military shooters will get this year, one that outshines its single-player half.

Loved
The Lighter Side of War: War has changed into something a bit more lighthearted. Sure, there are some serious dramatic moments that veer close to melodrama, but Bad Company 2 retains much of the laid back charm that complemented the action of the first so well. It's not particularly funny, mind you, despite the game's efforts to further establish the misfit, goofball nature of the stars of Bad Company, but the often comedic dialogue, occasionally grating, is a more amusing change of pace from the more serious military shooter. Players may feel some disconnect here, between the action of shooting scores of Russians and Bolivians in the face while the Bad Company squad ribs on each other—and mocks the Modern Warfare competition more than once—but it doesn't take itself too seriously.

Hi-Fi Gun Fun: If you like guns and like shootin' guns, you're going to love Bad Company 2's arsenal. On the multiplayer side, that requires some unlocking of advance level weapons. In the campaign, players can expand their weapon selection by picking up collectible guns. That not only scratches the item collection itch, it prods players to experiment with the weapons left behind by your enemies. Bad Company 2's weapons are modeled beautifully, but it's the clear, crisp sound and tight feel of each shotgun, assault rifle and handgun that deserves kudos. So... kudos, DICE.

Feeling A Little Lost: I like a little mystery and sci-fi in my drama, so Battlefield Bad Company 2's plot, the hunt for this enigmatic weapon that wails in a deep booming drone, kept me interested. That the mix of jungle, sci-fi and the mystery super-weapon's impact and aural design reminded me of something I'd see on Lost probably wasn't an accident.

Big Country: Bad Company 2's multiplayer maps, like the maps seen in previous Battlefield games, are both massive and surprisingly detailed. In the game's Rush modes, in which players must defend or attack a pair of "M-COM" stations, you'll understand the impressive scope of Bad Company 2's battlefields. There is room for players, whether on foot or in tanks or helicopters, to breathe, making multiplayer sessions less of a spawn and die affair at the hands of those who have already memorized the maps. I never considered just how much an open area affects my ability to stay alive longer against better players, but BFBC2 makes me a fan of online multiplayer map sprawl.

Deconstruction: The totally destructible environment bullet point from the first Battlefield Bad Company returns, only slightly improved, but still grand in its technical marvelousness. Buildings and fences still splinter, crumble and explode at the impact of frequent—very frequent—explosions to great effect, ensuring that players can't comfortably and reliably find cover behind just any wall. While you may hate DICE for its liberal sprinkling of rocket propelled grenade firing enemies, it's still some beautiful destruction to behold.

Oh, It Has Multiplayer: Bad Company 2 got a big boost in the multiplayer department, expanding the number of multiplayer game types, but focusing on a few key variations on standard death match and base capture/defense. The now standard experience point system, leading to higher ranks and unlockable weapons, specializations and gadgets, is a little more slow moving in Bad Company 2. The multiplayer side of things just has a grand, extended feel to it, emphasizing teamwork, communication and smart tactics that should appeal to first-person shooter fans with a little more patience.

Hated
Getting Over The Hump: The game's campaign takes some time to find its groove, venturing into more interesting territory in its second half. The motivations of your company and your enemy aren't always clear. Frankly, I'm not quite sure where I was and why I was there at times, focusing solely on shooting whoever was between me and that nasty super-weapon. My occasionally annoying squadmates and one overly zany helicopter pilot didn't help me enjoy being in Preston Marlowe's shoes.

Bad Aim Company: Sweetwater, Haggard, Sarge, I appreciate that you guys are absorbing a few hundred rounds in the name of getting from point A to point B, but is it asking too much for the rest of B Company to pick up a few kills? I'm getting hammered by RPGs over here. Over and over and over and over again. Thanks.

If you need to know what Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is all about, judge this book by its cover. It's more focused on online multiplayer than before—"Defining online warfare" its box art claims—and more Battlefield than last time. The game's single-player campaign, an explosive romp against an army of rocket wielding grunts that gets better as time goes on, but feels a little too familiar, is best thought of as a primer for the rest of Bad Company 2.

The game's multiplayer suite is a big hunk of finely polished team and squad-based action. Playing as one of the four classes, each with their own unique appeal, or piloting one of the game's vehicles on these big Battlefield maps is a blast. That's where you'll likely spend much of your time, ranking your way up the multiplayer ladder, capturing flags and sprinting to the next M-COM unit. Gamers who may have felt a little burned by the original's focus on single-player in favor of big, broad Battlefield action likely won't be disappointed by what Bad Company 2 brings to the series.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on March 2. Retails for $49.99 USD to $59.99 USD. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played single-player campaign to completion and tested all multiplayer modes on Xbox 360.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Ladies and gentlemen of Kotaku Off Topic, it's Friday night and it's time to forget about the troubles—and there were some troubles—of the week, hopefully with a few cocktails and some well-mixed conversation.

Like the White Rabbit, I am late for a very important date. That's a platonic date, mind you, but an obligation at the Edison in downtown Los Angeles, where I'll be both maxing and relaxing. If you wouldn't mind, please steer the Kotaku Off Topic conversation in my stead. Perhaps you can tell us about some of your favorite high class and low brow watering holes, should we travel to your town in the coming year.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

These days, multiplatform games tend to be dominated by console gamers. Modern Warfare 2, for example, has a relatively tiny PC-playing community. Not so for Battlefield Bad Company 2!

DICE associate producer Barrie Tingle has revealed that at the moment, during the week of the game's retail release, more people are playing the PC version of the game than both the 360 and PS3 editions combined.

Sure, Battlefield is a franchise with its spiritual home on the PC, but still. It's nice to see not everybody has abandoned the ol' mouse and keyboard in favour of the couch and a Dualshock 3.

Updates to the servers now and soon [EA, thanks Ryan!]

id software today announced a date, time and place for QuakeCon, its annual celebration of all things Quake. And Doom. And anything else id has ever done, or is doing in the future.

It'll run August 12 to August 15, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Entry will be free, and you can bet there'll be some id-related announcements to be had, along with the chance to meet some developers and take part in a massive LAN party.

Who knows. You may even get to see a little/lot of more of id's upcoming project Rage.

Lucasarts made a special edition of Monkey Island, and it went down real well. Know what that means? Yeah, that Lucasarts will be releasing a special edition of Monkey Island 2.

We've heard from sources that the game is due to be announced very soon, perhaps even next week at the Game Developer's Conference, and that like the first game's special edition, will contain all-new graphics and audio.

Unlike the first game, however, this one will be reaching a few more consumers, with versions planned for not just the Xbox 360, PC ad iPhone (like Monkey Island), but the PlayStation Network as well.

For several years now, Japanese developers have realized that there are bigger markets outside Japan — namely, the U.S. and Europe. Isn't that limiting?

In his new "Itagaki's Thought" column, former Ninja Gaiden designer and currently Valhalla Game Studios developer Tomonobu Itagaki is looking at the bigger picture.

"I'm doubtful about the Japanese game industry's stance these days," he writes. "Many say things like, 'How do we sell games to Americans?', 'What games sell well in Europe?', and 'How we should face the world as Japanese?'"

"However, to me, that just seems to be narrowing down one's own market," he continues. "I would like to ask, but what about Moscow? How about China? Mexico? Or even Sicily? Brazil?"

According to Itagaki, "I've always been of the belief that there's no nationality to entertainment. You need to make a game for everyone on Earth, one that anyone can enjoy. I have lived for a long time thinking this way, and it's only getting stronger."

Bet those living outside the U.S. and Europe are happy to hear that at least one game developer understands that the audience for games is truly global.

Valhalla Studios also has interview with some of the studios' programmers — all of which were programmers or lead programmers at Tecmo.

Valhalla Game Studios | Itagaki's [Valhalla Thanks, Matt!] [Pic]

If this image looks familiar, we had some technical difficulties delivering today's version of the Talk Amongst Yourselves art. Which sucks, because I had a hell of a joke worked out.

Anyway, the starter image is like the frame of a painting. You guys are that painting. Enjoy your canvas for talking about anything in games, in Kotaku's official open thread.

The onslaught of news this week was enough to send anyone to the nuthouse. Activision sacking Infinity Ward's founders takes the gold, the PS3 clock error the silver, and Portal 2 a hard-fought bronze. The week in Kotaku's original reporting:

Activision vs. Infinity Ward Founders
Ex-Infinity Ward Heads Claim "Orwellian" Moves By Activision
Infinity Ward Founders Suing Activision Over Unpaid Royalties
Video Games' Team Coco Moment
Where To Next For Call Of Duty?
Infinity Ward Vs. Activision: The Battle For Creative Direction
Guess Which Three Games Help Keep Activision Afloat
Scandal Hits Call Of Duty Devs: What We Know
Déjà Vu Surrounds Infinity Ward Rumors

The Great PS3 Outrage
PS3 Error 8001050F: The Nightmare May Be Over
PS3s Suffering From Global Network Lockdown
PS3 Failure, You Are Not Alone

Portal 2
Portal Mysteriously Updated With Secret Radio Codes, New Achievement
Portal 2 Adds Multiplayer Co-op, New & Familiar Characters
An Insider's Guide to Portal 2

Top Stories
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy Nixed on Xbox 360 Live
NHL 2K Isn't Dead, It's Just Resting
Valve Teases Upcoming Mac Announcement, Not So Subtly

K Monthly - February 2010

Kotaku Talk Radio
Bad Company 2 Devs Have Nothing But Love For The Modding Community

News
God Of War III's First Big Boss Battle Is Unforgettable
The Next Big Thing In Video Games Might Be Fear Of Embarrassment
iPhone Chart Toppers: Final Fantasies
It Would Be Like Call Of Duty, But You Would Only Control A Leg
DSi XL Versus iPad: The Battle of the Bigger Versions
Which Pokemon Song Do You Like Better?
We Were Wrong About Nier Before ... Or We Are Now
When Does God of War Go Too Far? When Someone Laughs
Mirror's Edge On iPhone Doing The Canabalt
Aion Patch 1.9: Changing Perceptions And Pleasing The Players
Revisiting The Great Class Dash: TF2's Side-Scroller
A Number of Boom Blox Developers Let Go
Ex-Team Ninja Boss Has A New Studio With A New Name
Five Yakuza Movies You Must See...
Play A Facebook Game To Help The War Effort On Your Xbox 360, Or Vice Versa
NSFW: Heavy Rain Glitch Brings Playable, Accidental Nudity
Rumor: Screens From Unannounced Justice League Video Game

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review: Judging A Book By Its Cover Works
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Review: Remaster System
Mega Man 10 Micro-Review: Capcom Had Mercy
Match Defense Toy Soldiers Micro-Review: Finally, Mom Can Help\
Toy Soldiers Micro-review: A Farewell To Arms?
Max & The Magic Marker Preview: For Those With Imagination
The Secret Armory of General Knoxx Micro-Review: Hot Coals Over a Cakewalk

Movies
Alice In Wonderland Movie Review: A Bitter Underland
The Crazies Review: Left 4 Dead In a Small Town
An Eyes-On Sneak Peek At Tron Legacy... In 3D!!!

Columns
Well Played: Collateral Damage In The War On Piracy
Speak-Up On Kotaku: Team Ninja, Splitscreen's Absence, Used Games, And The Birthday Lord
Twitterati: Gears of War Designer Mentions Something About Doing Things In Threes
Stick Jockey: More Than Money, Licenses Give a League Control
Tim Rogers: Japan: It's Not Funny Anymore

The PS2 at 10
The PS2's First Ten Years: A Timeline
Show Us Your 10-Year-Old PlayStation 2
My 10 Years With The PlayStation 2

The Road to the IGF
Mile Marker 7: Limbo
Mile Marker 8: Heroes of Newerth
Mile Marker 9: Joe Danger
Mile Marker 10: Shatter

Roundups
This Week In Comics
The Tester: Episode 3: The "There's No Cry In Team" Liveblog: No Goof Deed Goes Unpunished
A Week In Comments

Dammit
Red Dead Redemption Delayed To May
Your Red Dead Redemption Survival Guide: Listen To This!

Kotaku 'Shop Contest
Kotaku 'Shop Contest: Next-Gen Cereal System Edition
Kotaku 'Shop Contest: Worst Sonic & Sega Cameos Edition Winners

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Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 10:14:00

Find & stream your audio from the Internet

Finding new and interesting music isn’t particularly easy unless you have the time to listen to a lot of radio or you want to legitimately listen to entire songs, before...

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 10:20:00

Dedicated MP3 audio player & organiser

This is the software publisher's description. Created to fill a gap in the large amount of free and commercial mp3 players....

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 10:42:00

Sync remote files to & from your computer

External web storage is available for next to nothing these days. One of my old basic email accounts originally shipped with 250MB of storage....

Lee Collins, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 12:02:00

Salvage & recover deleted files

When we browse the Internet, most of us download our files to our desktop. After a few weeks of doing this, our desktop becomes cluttered with files....

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 00:00:00

Sync your Firefox 3.5 bookmarks, passwords & preferences

Like most office workers, you spend the majority of your time sat at the same PC. During a break during our working day, we’ll quickly skim through our favourite websites...

Paul Rowlingson, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 00:00:00

Professional & powerful CSS editor

TopStyle is a powerful style sheet editor that enables you to confidently and accurately create cascading style sheets, which can then be implemented into your website....

Paul Rowlingson, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 00:00:00

Competent text editor for coders

UltraEdit-32 has a look and feel similar to Macromedia Homesite, down to the tabbed windows and the syntax highlighting. Syntax highlighting is pre-configured for C/C++, VB, HTML, Java and Perl,...

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Tuesday 2 March 2010 at 00:00:00

Create your own PDF documents

This is the software publisher’s description. novaPDF is a PDF creator for Windows that allows you to easily create professional quality documents in industry-standard PDF file format....

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Wednesday 3 March 2010 at 00:00:00

Popular chat program, with voice

Yahoo Messenger is one of the most popular instant-messaging programs and it's easy to see why: a simple-to-use program supported by a massive online community, and it's all free....

Chris Wiles, V3.co.uk, Thursday 4 March 2010 at 15:52:00

Backup, synchronise & share important files

Modern technology enables a team to operate in different locations across your company and the world. If you’re a software developer, there’s no reason why you couldn’t pick the best...

I love that exciting gladiator music where it seems like everybody might be going on a space mission while they intercut all kinds of footage and unknown memories, and then their little faces looking so intense, and then little Ryan being all intense in the Twilight drama. He seems to have continued his course of Charles Atlas's Dynamic Training Method or whatever has got him so aggro this week, for sure: His "This is AMERICAN IDOL" thing has never seemed so hairy-chested. Seacrest out. Of Control!

He leads us to applaud ourselves for voting so hard, and then delivers the sad news that Gokey will be entrancing us with his whole deal tonight. We'll see if that happens. Randy boos Simon, always classy, and then Ryan tells us that Simon has taken back some of his kinder words from last night -- in fact, that he turned off the TV during one performance. Ellen explains that last night she felt that Katelyn was playing the piano like a "soft, sweet guitar," which is why she misread her notes. Then we sing a Black Eyed Peas "song."

CLICK TO READ THE FULL RECAP

Fans of NBC's The Office have been awaiting the happy news, and finally, in Thursday's hour-long episode, Jim and Pam's baby arrived. And joy rang out across the land!

Was there ever anything cuter than Jim (John Krasinski) panicking about getting Pam (Jenna Fischer) to the hospital, Andy (Ed Helms) dancing to distract his pregnant colleague from her contractions, Michael (Steve Carell) storming the maternity ward with a giant balloon bouquet -- and blanching when he walked in on Pam in labor pushing the baby out? Okay, that last bumbling mistake was not so cute for Michael ("I'm gonna wash my eyes out now"), but the fact remains -- the arrival of tiny Cecilia Marie was as precious as promised.

The episode did raise four burning questions, though:

1.) Do hospitals really employ male lactation consultants? Young, handsome ones who offer hands-on breastfeeding counsel to new moms? While new dads watch? Pam accepted the nature of the clinical situation, totally indifferent to anything but the task at hand (getting Cecilia fed) -- but we're with Jim. That's just not right.

2.) Mistakenly breastfeeding someone else's newborn doesn't happen -- does it? It seemed beyond credible that Pam would sleepily bring another mom's baby to her breast, but when you factor in the mind-numbing exhaustion of birthing a child in the first place, it actually makes you wonder how it doesn't happen more often!

3.) Is anyone kinder than Erin, the receptionist? When Michael -- high on the misguided notion that his matchmaking led Jim and Pam to bring forth new life -- forced Erin (Ellie Kemper) into a break-room date with Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), she redefined the term "good sport." We don't know anyone who would try harder to spare Kevin's feelings. Happily, she got her real wish when Andy asked her out!

4.) Is Dwight insane? His plan to boost his sales by siring a child, his pregnancy contract with Angela (Angela Kinsey) stipulating that the child must be male, his pantsless sleepover in Jim and Pam's bed and his demolition of their kitchen in an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition gone wrong... You might question whether Dwight (Rainn Wilson) is firing on all cylinders during any Office season or episode, but he's bordering on certifiable now!

Jim and Pam will take parental leave from Dunder-Mifflin as they sleep-walk their way through the culture shock of getting to know baby Cecilia's burps, cries and coos. But come on, with such fan interest in their relationship, odds are we'll see the coworkers barging into the Halpert home regularly. Just as long as they use hand sanitizer first. (And don't wipe it off on your pants, Michael.)

PLUS:
- VIDEO: Erin and Kelly of The Office sing "Male Prima Donna"

What do you think of the name Jim & Pam gave their baby: Cecilia Marie? Chime in below!

Next month, Cartoon Network launches Adventure Time with Finn & Jake, a new animated TV show for kids, part of an oeuvre I like to call "Attention Deficit Theater." Don't be fooled by its traditional title -- Adventure Time is an absurdist anything-can-happen romp starring a vaguely human-like, head-sock-wearing 12-year-old boy named Finn; and a shape-shifting 28-year-old talking dog named Jake. It takes place in the Land of Ooo, where people use mathematical exclamations like "Rhombus!" and "Algebraic!". Naturally.

Let me describe it another way: Imagine Dora the Explorer re-imagined by inebriated, cooler-than-thou college art students who don't speak Spanish, but watched way too much Rainbow Brite as children. Now imagine that show a little weirder. That comes close.

Side characters include a hard-rocking vampire girl, an evil ice king with a magic crown who "wants to secure a wife by any means necessary," and a millionaire geeky princess whose pet, a viola-loving part unicorn and part rainbow, is Jake's girlfriend. Yes, you read that right.

The series, which premieres April 5 on Cartoon Network,  is based on an award-winning animated short, but this may prove that not all short things deserve to be long. What actually impressed me more than all that nonsensical narrative litter is the list of this season's special guest voices, including Henry Rollins, Mark Hamill, George Takei, Lou Ferrigno and Erik Estrada. It's one thing to end up with guest stars kids have never heard of, yet another to go out of your way to include them.

I have nothing against absurd animation, whether it's old -chool (Ren & Stimpy) or new school (SpongeBob), but with the rise of shows like Adventure Time and -- from the same producer -- Fanboy and Chum Chum, I'm concerned kids' TV will eventually be reduced to a series of flashing bizarro images and random banging, splooshing noises. It won't exactly liquefy their brains, but it may leave kids without the patience span necessary to, say, read a good book. Or, for that matter, to write one.

There are almost too many patients of the week to keep track of this week, but somehow they're all good enough to keep it interesting. First up is Addison and Sam's pregnant patient, Elisha. She's about to marry her boyfriend, Esau, who's Kenyan and needs a physical to get his visa renewed. Unfortunately, Sam finds he has tuberculosis that's not treatable, so he has to be quarantined. The couple runs, but comes back when she goes into labor. Immigration shows up, too, to take him away so Sam pretends he's too sick long enough for him to see his baby. Elisha wants to flee to Kenya with him, but since her unborn baby has heart conditions, she will have to stay in the U.S. to get it the treatment it needs. 

CLICK TO READ THE FULL RECAP

Raise your hand if you want to see Jon Gosselin naked! Anybody? Anybody? Despite the female population's lack of interest, Playgirl magazine says it may be willing to pay ex-reality star Gosselin, 32, to pose nude for its readers. But not very much.

"For the novelty factor," Playgirl spokesman Daniel Nardicio clarified. "No offense, but I don't think [Jon's] that attractive. People aren't going to be like, 'Ooh, it's going to be a hot shoot."

Nardicio said that if Gosselin is interested, Playgirl could offer him $20,000. Not pocket change -- but to put it in perspective: Levi Johnston was paid more than $100,000 for his (undies-on) photo shoot. And to add insult to injury, Jon's ex-wife Kate Gosselin was once offered $400,000 to pose nude for Playboy.

This isn't the first time that Playgirl has shown dubious taste in male pin-ups -- last month, they offered quarterback and dogfighter Michael Vick a photo shoot in return for a $1 million donation to PETA.

Plus:
- Levi Johnston Playgirl Cover Revealed!
- PHOTOS: Reality Shows Jon Gosselin Should Join

Would you enjoy seeing a sexy photo spread starring Jon Gosselin? Chime in below!

Let's see -- if you were Alec Baldwin, and you were rehearsing your jokes for the Oscars on Sunday, and your super-smart costar Tina Fey was just one dressing room away... what would you do? Naturally, you'd ask the 30 Rock creator to vet your act. And according to Fey, that's exactly what Baldwin did.

"He’s gotten 'the bounce' on a few ideas… Bounced them off of me," Fey has told Entertainment Tonight.

And what's her professional opinion? "I think they've got a good show."

Fey is also buddies with Baldwin's cohost, comedian and Oscar-hosting veteran Steve Martin -- he turned in a hilarious performance in her 2008 comedy Baby Mama, and played her love interest in a guest spot on 30 Rock. And of course, all three of them have a Saturday Night Love bond: Fey was head writer when she worked on the show, Martin is the most frequent guest host in the series' history (15 times), with Baldwin coming in a close second (14 times).

Fey told ET that she was psyched to see what Baldwin and Martin could get away with at Academy Awards: "I’m excited to watch Alec and Steve. They really are peers with everybody in the room, so I think they’ll be able to joke around and tease everybody the way a regular comedian from the outside could not."

Celebrity inside jokes? Count us in! The 82nd Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday on ABC.

PHOTOS:
- Haven't Seen the Oscar Best Picture Nominees? Read Our Cliffs Notes!
- Oscars' Golden Girls: The Class of 2010

Do you think Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will be good cohosts at the Oscars? Chime in below!

Dr. Drew Pinsky has helped some pretty hopeless patients through the process of rehab -- but some people need a lot more help than even Dr. Drew can give them. On Wednesday, 33-year-old Charles Pearson was arrested for sending threatening messages to Pinsky, his colleagues and his family.

According to the New York Daily News, Pearson is accused of threatening to kill Pinsky's family -- and if that doesn't convince you he's severely troubled, Pearson also allegedly believed that  the radio and TV star had placed a tracking device in his genitals. Pearson is being charged with felony stalking and held on $150,000 bail.

The unflappable doctor, always a class act, graciously told the press that he understands Pearson's behavior and hopes he gets help: "He's probably suffered terribly and we got a dose of it directed our way."

Dr. Pinksy hosts the VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab -- which, this season, featured such troubled stars as Mackenzie Phillips, Dennis Rodman, Tom Sizemore and Heidi Fleiss. As "the most intense season," according to Pinksy, wrapped up this week (this season featured nudity, fights, walk-outs and a particularly disturbing onscreen seizure), the finale episode was optimistic, and even dipped into Extreme Makeover: Home Edition territory when Dr. Drew and his staff overhauled Phillips' drug den -- giving her a brand new, blood-stain-free bedroom and super-clean bathroom in which to continue her sober journey.

Plus: Why Would Anyone Go on Celebrity Rehab?

What do you think of Dr. Drew? Chime in below!

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart welcomed a bundle of joy, a baby girl, on Wednesday. According to the Huffington Post, the couple's joint publicist announced that Gayheart, 38, gave birth to the couple's first child in Los Angeles and "mother, father and daughter are doing great." 

Grey's Anatomy star Dane, 37, married Gayheart (Scream 2) in 2004. The happy news this week is a stark contrast to headlines the pair endured last summer when a sex tape featuring the couple and some alleged drug use raised eyebrows.

The name of Dane and Gayheart's daughter has not yet been made public. Dane costars in last month's box-office hit Valentine's Day.

PHOTOS: Oh, Babies! Celebs' New Arrivals

Who are your favorite celebrity parents? Chime in below!

So despite having recapped 60-something episodes of this show, and knowing full well that there was a prestigious fictional award called the Harper Avery Award, I still somehow neglected to notice that one of the Mercy Westers was named, hmm, Jackson Avery. It turns out Meredith isn't the only one at the hospital with a famous family member, as Harper is Jackson's grandfather, and Jackson has an incredibly difficult relationship with him on account of his medical fame.

Harper is rushed in with abdominal pain and then, when he's told he needs surgery, orders the doctors to let him stay awake so that he can see what's going on. When Derek tries to talk him out of it, Harper basically mocks his being Chief and looks more to Richard. He wants Richard to do the surgery, as he is the only one Harper actually knows and trusts. 

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Katie Price has branded ex-husband Peter Andre a "liar" following revelations he has dated a glamour model since their divorce.

The brunette model is furious Peter embarked on a three-month relationship with blonde beauty Maddy Ford just eight days after his divorce from Katie was finalise ... Read More

Cheryl Cole has vowed never to return to her husband Ashley Cole.

The 'Fight for This Love' singer - who separated from her soccer player spouse last week over his alleged infidelities - reportedly broke down during a heartfelt telephone call with her mother-in-law Sue, saying she couldn't ... Read More

Lady Gaga believes celibacy is a good thing.

The 'Poker Face' singer - who has previously admitted to being bisexual - suggests girls should save themselves for someone special.

She said: "If you can't get to know them, you shouldn't have sex with them. It's OK at this point, in t ... Read More

Jessica Simpson hates people knowing what she is like in bed.

The singer-and-actress was extremely unhappy with ex-boyfriend John Mayer's recent interview in which he described her as "sexual napalm" because she prefers to keep her private life under wraps.

She said: "I don't want p ... Read More

Megan Fox has only slept with two men.

The 'Transformers' actress - who is regarded as one of the world's sexiest women - insists she has only been intimate with long-term partner Brian Austin Green and her first boyfriend as she can only have sex with people she loves.

She said: " ... Read More

Robert Pattinson is to be immortalised in wax.

The 'Twilight' actor is the latest star to be honoured with his own waxwork by famous museum Madame Tussauds and his figure will be unveiled in both the New York and London branches.

Artist Luke Fisher is keen to give the statues a true ... Read More

Cheryl Cole is to fly to France to meet her estranged husband Ashley Cole.

The 'Fight for This Love' singer has given in to her soccer star spouse's pleas and agreed to jet over to France - where the 29-year-old sportsman is receiving treatment for a broken ankle - to discuss his alleged a ... Read More

Angelina Jolie had a relationship with Sir Mick Jagger while he was married to Jerry Hall, a new book has claimed.

The 'Changeling' star allegedly embarked on a romance with the Rolling Stones rocker when she starred in the video for his group's single 'Anybody Seen My Baby?' in 1997, and ... Read More

Mickey Rourke once had sex with 14 women in a night.

The 57-year-old actor claims he managed to entice multiple women into his bed during a marathon evening out in London.

Mickey - who referred to the cheating antics of Cheryl Cole's husband Ashley Cole - told British interviewer ... Read More