15 Sequels That Topped The Originals

Will ”Iron Man 2” join ”The Dark Knight,” ”Terminator 2,” ”X2,” and more that proved the second time’s the charm? Check out Entertainment Weekly’s list HERE and see if you agree?

A Nerd’s Guide to Mother’s Day Gifts

Every year your mother declares: “I’ll love whatever you get me.” But, if she still hasn’t exactly warmed to what you got her, maybe it’s time to readjust your gift giving prerogative.

You don’t need to ditch your “I heart Star Wars” attitude or even break your gadget gift streak to get her something she’ll cherish, so Techland is bringing you a few ideas that might meld your geekery with her fine china – literally.

See the list HERE.

Shrek Forever After – New Trailer

Brought to you by DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek Forever After”, in Theaters May 21st.

In what is suppose to be the final Shrek film, we’ll see Shrek make a deal with Rumpelstiltskin and gets a bit more than what he bargained for. His world suddenly gets turned upside down and it is up to Shrek to save, or in this case, recover, the day.

Alec Baldwin To Host Saturday Night Live Season Finale

Saturday Night Live will close its season with one of the more anticipated first-time hosts ever — Betty White — and a guy who’s hosted the show as much as anyone ever has.

That would be Alec Baldwin, who will take his 15th turn as host of the show for its May 15 season finale. His appearance will tie his Oscar co-host Steve Martin for the show’s all-time record. He revealed the news to a reporter at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington on Saturday (May 1).

The reporter asked Baldwin (Gawker has video) if he had any advice for White, who thanks to a Facebook campaign will make her “SNL” hosting debut on May 8. “Don’t peak in the dress,” he said. “Don’t blow it out in the dress rehearsal.”

The “30 Rock” star also thinks White will do “great” as host.

There’s no official word from NBC on who will join Baldwin on the season finale.

We All Scream For Ice Cream

Cadbury, the confection company challenge fans to eat a Flake 99 ice cream upside-down on a rollercoaster at speeds of over 40mph and pulling over 3Gs – and then repeat the same feat going backwards whilst being splattered in a veritable blizzard of ice cream. The viral video is below.

For more information on Cadbury Flake 99, please visit HERE.

Not For Tourists Guides

OK, I admit it. I have passed by these black covered books in the travel section of my local book store and never picked them up; I guess I am a sucker for pretty pictures.

But after checking one out at the Los Angeles Book Festival, I get it and it makes sense.

The Not For Tourists (abbreviated NFT) travel guidebooks ($24.99) differ from traditional tourist guides in that they are written and designed by in-the-know city dwellers themselves. NFT is portable, succinct and filled with easy to understand maps.

The saying goes if you want a good place to eat you should ask the locals.  NFT does just that and provides the local perspective on landmarks, restaurants, bars, stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, and more.

So skip the pretty pictures and pick up the black book. Current cities available are: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC.

They even offer an iPhone app for various cities that you can download HERE for $4.99.

Patton Oswalt Has Joined Twitter

One of my favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt has joined Twitter.  You can follow his “witty tweets” HERE.

British Retailer Prompts iTunes To Release Billy Joel Cover Song

Billy Joel’s hit She’s Always a Woman could return to the charts after a 33 year absence following its appearance in a television ad for British Retailer, John Lewis.

A version of the song by Fyfe Dangerfield, lead singer of cult band The Guillemots, will be made available from iTunes after it was used in the £6m campaign to promote the store’s “Never Knowingly Undersold” customer service promise.

The poignant commercial (As a new Dad, I got choked up) has been viewed 188,000 times in six days on YouTube, taking both the 29-year-old singer and the retail giant by surprise.

Billy Joel’s hit She’s Always a Woman could return to the charts after a 33 year absence following its appearance in a television ad for British Retailer, John Lewis.

A version of the song by Fyfe Dangerfield, lead singer of cult band The Guillemots, will be made available from iTunes after it was used in the £6m campaign to promote the store’s “Never Knowingly Undersold” customer service promise.

The poignant commercial (As a new Dad, I got choked up) has been viewed 188,000 times in six days on YouTube, taking both the 29-year-old singer and the retail giant by surprise.

Mick Garris Talks About Adapting Stephen King’s Bag of Bones

Dread Central caught up with Mick Garris at the “Never Sleep Again” signing event held this weekend at Dark Delicacies in Burbank.Garris shared that he will be directing a four-hour miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s Bag of Bones which will air on network television in 2011.”Bag of Bones is something we tried to do as a feature for two or three years,” Garris stated. “But the way features are now, if it’s not about teenagers or a sequel or a remake, forget it. We wanted to do something much more adult and passionate than studios are making now. It’s a ghost story for grown-ups. Television is the only place you can do that.”Production on Bag of Bones will begin in June in Alaska (The original story was set in Maine). Garris also added that they will hopefully be casting their lead this week so stay tuned.

Apple Has Already Sold One Million iPads

Apple has announced that it sold its one millionth iPad on Friday, 28 days after the device’s introduction on April 3. In addition to unit purchases, iPad users have already downloaded over 12 million apps from the App Store and over 1.5 million ebooks from the iBookstore. Notably, the announcement also reveals that there are now over 5,000 apps for the iPad in the App Store. “One million iPads in 28 days—that’s less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Demand continues to exceed supply and we’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers.”

Who Is Playing Gargamel in The Smurfs Movie?

Director Raja Gosnell is currently shooting Sony Pictures’ The Smurfs in New York City and Hank Azaria was spotted in character as Gargamel.

In the 3D August 3rd, 2011 release, the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village and they tumble from their magical world into ours – in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

The cast includes Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Paul Reubens, John Oliver, Kenan Thompson, B.J. Novak, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck and Gary Basaraba.

60 Minutes: The Full Conan O’Brien Interview

Conan breaks his silence on 60 Minutes. He discusses the Tonight Show and his exit from NBC, telling 60 Minutes that it’s “just not possible” for the show to have lost money under his watch. He is very restrained about commenting on Jay leno.

Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s DVD

Back in the ’80s, you were a kid and just about the only thing you wanted to do was sit in your pajamas and watch cartoons. Now it’s the 2010s, you’re a full-grown adult and just about the only thing you want to do is… sit in your pajamas and watch cartoons.

But whatever, we call it animation now, which makes the whole thing way more mature.

To relive the root of your addiction, check out the new 2-disc DVD compilation Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s ($19.98) a four-hour reminder of your Saturday morning stare-a-thons. The animation lineup includes: Mister T, Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos, The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, The Flintstone Kids, Monchhichis, Kwicky Koala Show, Galtar and the Golden Lance, Dragon’s Lair and the always awesome Thundarr the Barbarian. Although each cartoon sadly only has one episode on the discs, it’s still a nostalgia marathon. Remember how weird it was that Mr. T coached a gymnastic team? Remember how Thundarr’s blond bob haircut totally got copied by that punk He-Man? (From GeekChicDaily)

The Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor

The new Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor ($299) delivers the next big innovation for the modern kitchen. With 11- and 4½-cup work bowls nested inside the 14-cup bowl, plus the adjustable 6-position slicing disc and reversible shredding disc, it provides home chefs with multiple food processors in one!

This Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor offers the exclusive SealTight Advantage System that is designed to deliver maximum bowl capacity and clean processing and pouring.The Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor includes the following features:

- 14-cup Large Bowl, 11-cup Medium Bowl, and 4½-cup Small Bowl with Pour Spouts & Measurement Markings

- Exclusive Patent-Pending SealTight Advantage System – Seals Bowls and Locks Blades

- Easy On/Off Locking System with Push-Button Release

- Stainless Steel Adjustable Slicing Disc (1 to 6mm)

- Stainless Steel Reversible Shredding Disc (fine/medium)

- Large and Small Stainless Steel Chopping/Mixing Blades with BladeLock System

- Dough Blade

- Cuisinart Supreme Wide-Mouth Feedtube and Cover Assembly

- Electronic Touchpad Controls – On/Off/ Dough/Pulse with surrounding Blue LED Lights

- 1000-Watt Peak Power Motor

- Retractable Cord

- Accessory Storage Case with Lock

- Spatula

- Instructional DVD

- Recipe & Instruction Book

The device’s removable parts are all dishwasher safe. The processor comes with a 20-year motor warranty and a 3-year limited warranty. The Cuisinart is available in the following color choices: die-cast, white and black.  If you are looking for a versatile, solidly built and dependable food processor, look no further than the Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor!

4 Cricut Cartridge Recommendations From THE FIRE WIRE

We have written about the versatility and fun of the Cricut cutting device in the past and now we have 4 Cricut cartridge recommendations to expand your creative options:

Once Upon a Princess Cartridge

Enter the land of Happily Ever After with the Cricut Once Upon a Princess Cartridge ($69.99). Utterly adorable, this cartridge contains princess-themed dolls, outfits, phrases and more. This cartridge is perfect for the little girls in your life.  Completely versatile for all holidays.

Robotz Cartridge

This Robotz Cartridge ($69.99) is so unique! Boys love robots and I actually hoped they made a cartridge with robots on it to appeal to the male audience. It’s great that you get a font as well. The 3D robots are just amazing.

Create a Critter Cartridge

The Create a Critter Cartridge ($69.99) is all about adorable animal images! Super cuddly and lovable animals are included in this cartridge. Frogs, bunnies, whales, and even snakes! Also includes a ton of other great images like flower and kites, and cupcakes too. Don’t miss out on this great shape cartridge!

Straight From The Nest Cartridge

Enjoy the wonderful enchantment of the Cricut Straight From the Nest Cartridge (available exclusively from HSN). This delightful debut features the collaborative talents of Provo Craft and 3 Birds in an engaging cartridge that is truly a crafter’s must-have. The versatility is amazing. You can make anything from cards, to hostess gifts, wall hangings, scrapbooks for bird lovers, garden journals, only your imagination is limited. If you want unlimited new projects, this is the cartridge. (Written by Patricia Fire)

Harry Connick Jr. To Mentor The American Idol Final 5 On Tuesday May 4th

American Idol,” with the help of Harry Connick, Jr., will tackle standards next.

The New Orleans musician will help mentor the Top 5 as they select and sing Frank Sinatra songs, it was announced on Wednesday’s (April 28th) results show.

The final five contestants are Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze and Michael Lynche.

The IMAX IMP550 and IMP880 iPhone Chargers

The iPhone is a powerful device but like any smart phone has a limited battery life.  Imaxpower has 2 superb solutions that will extend the life of your iPhone battery while taking up a small footprint.  One solution is a case that powers your phone and the other is an external battery.

The lightweight (100g) new Imaxpower IMP550 Powercase Extended Rechargeable Battery Case ($59.95) is designed for the iPhone 3G and 3Gs. Simply insert your phone into this Li-ion Polymer battery case after it has been charged via an AC wall charger or a USB port on a PC and you will notice immediate results:

- Boost 3Gs 3G 2G iPhone video play time up to 38 hours (with speaker on) with 400% extra 3Gs iPhone battery life

and

- Boost 3Gs iPhone internet time to 30 hours, audio time up to 150 hours

The Imax Power IMP880 ($69.95) is an external battery and AC charger that is compatible with your iPhone 3G and 3Gs. The package includes the following:

- IMP880 external battery pack

- Retractable USB cable for charging the device

- iPhone adapter for 3Gs, 3G, iPhone, iTouch and iPod

- MiniUSB adapter for blackberry Curve and Bold

- UL certified AC adapter

- English user manual

The 180g external charger will:

- Boost 3Gs 3G 2G iPhone video play time up to 50 hours (with speaker on) with 500% more of backup 3Gs iPhone battery life

and

- Boost 3Gs iPhone internet time up to 50 hours, audio time up to 360 hours

The The Imax Power IMP880 is compatible with other cell phone brands such as the Blackberry Curve, Tour, Storm and Bold plus Samsung phones with the correct adapter, sold separately. It is also compatible with portable game systems such as Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS lite and the Sony PSP with a correct adapter, sold separately.

The Next Batman Movie Coming July 20th, 2012

Warner Bros. Pictures has set a July 20th, 2012 release date for Christopher Nolan’s third Batman movie in conventional and IMAX theaters! That is a little over two weeks after Sony Pictures is releasing their Spider-Man reboot on July 3rd, 2012.