In case you missed it: Obama’s 100 days press conference (full video)

President Barack Obama held his third primetime news conference on Wednesday to mark the 100th day of his term.

Here is full video of the press conference:

Kill the virus playing Swinefighter

A Flash game aimed at tackling the global spread of swine flu has become an internet hit.

In Swinefighter the player needs to shoot as many pig-like viruses as possible using a huge needle to stop the spread of the disease.

Wasting 20 seconds of my time this afternoon, I killed 21 green pigs before they fly off across the globe to cause yet further panic.

The web game was designed by the guys over at Heyzap. And with over 150,000 game plays in just 24 hours, it has really done quite well.

Click here to play.

Dutch queen escapes as driver crashes into crowd (video)

Several people were wounded Thursday when a car slammed into a crowd watching the Queen’s Day parade in Netherlands.

Witnesses said the black Suzuki Swift appeared to be deliberately driving at high speed toward an open-top bus carrying Dutch Queen Beatrix and several members of the royal family in Apeldoorn. The car sped through the spectators, swerved across police railings and slammed into the foot of a stone monument.

Reports said the car was driving at a speed of at least 50miles per hour. It is not clear whether the driver was acting intentionally.

The royal bus was not hit, and no one in the Queen’s entourage was injured.

Dutch television said that at least 14 people were killed, but the police declined to confirm the report.

See footage of the video below:

Kenyan women hit men with sex ban

Women’s activist groups in Kenya have slapped their partners with a week-long sex ban in protest over the infighting plaguing the national unity government.

The Women’s Development Organization coalition said they would also pay prostitutes to join their strike.

The campaigners are asking the wives of the Kenyan president and the prime minister to join in the embargo.

They say they want to avoid a repeat of the violence which convulsed the country after the late-2007 elections.

Relations between Kenya’s coalition partners, led by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, have become increasingly acrimonious.

Now the dispute has moved to the nation’s bedrooms.

Click here to read the full story on the BBC.

HTC Magic - now available

Some of our readers will remember the HTC Magic, that we featured on the site previously, it is now available to pre-order on Vodafone, here is a round up of the specifications.

The HTC Magic features a 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen display, there is no physical keyboard like the T-Mobile G1, and it measures 113 x 55 x 13.65mm and weighs ion at just 118.5 grams with the battery.

Other specifications on the HTC Magic include HDSPA, GPS an 3.2 megapixel camera, and a trackball for navigation, it is also quad band and features built in Bluetooth, WiFi.

The HTC Magic is now available to pre-order on Vodafone.

LaCie Rugged XL

LaCie has added a new portable hard drive to their range, with the launch of the LaCie Rugged XL external hard drive.

The LaCie Rugged XL features an aluminum chassis, and is protected by a shock resistant rubber sleeve, it also has internal anti shock bumpers to ensure the hard drive is protected.

It comes with high speed USB, and eSATA interfaces, and has 1TB of storage, it will go on sale for around $159.99.

Press Release via Tech Fresh

Image Credit: Crunch Gear
This is a Syndicated post from Geeky Gadgets.

RROD Xbox 360 Arcade Stick Mod

What happens when you get a RROD (Red Ring of Death), on your Xbox 360? do you send it into Microsoft to get it repaired, or do you turn it into this awesome Xbox 360 Arcade Stick like one gamer did?

A gamer by the name of Seppun decided to use his dead Xbox 360 to make this awesome Arcade stick, unfortunately there arent to many details available on the mod, here is another photo of this cool arcade stick.

Necktie Spy Camera

Here is a fun spy gadget for all the James Bond fans, the Necktie Spy Camera.

The Necktie Spy Camera is the ideal accessory for your latest spy mission, you are bound to go undetected with this covert necktie, apart from the fact that everyone will realise you don’t normally wear one.

The Necktie Spy Camera features a tiny pinhole spy camera hidden in the pattern and it can record video at a 352 x 288 resolution at 12 frames per second.

The video is recorded in AVI format, and it comes with 2GB of built in memory, transferring files to your PC is easy as the nectie can be plugged directly into a USB port, and it even comes with a remote control so that you can start and stop recordings.

The Necktie Spy Camera is available for $66 from Brando.

This is a Syndicated post from Geeky Gadgets.

VHS USB Drive

Who said USB tapes were dead? The guys over at Hacked Gadgets have come up with the ultimate solution to recycle all your old VHS tapes and turn them into this cool VHS USB Drive.

This fun USB drive uses, and old VHS tape, a USB drive, some LEDs, a recycled DC motor and a small petf board, the total cost to make one is about $15.00, check out the video of it in action below.

Very cool!, if you want to make your own head on over to Hacked Gadgets for full instructions.

This is a Syndicated post from Geeky Gadgets.

EagleTec USB Nano Flash Drive

If you are looking for a small USB drive to store all your files on, the check out the EagleTec USB Nano Flash Drive.

The EagleTec USB Nano Flash Drive measures just 19mm x 15mm x 6mm and weighs in at a tiny 3g, although it is extremely small, there is plenty of room to store all your data on as it comes in a choice of either 4GB or 8GB.

Here are the specifications.

• Nano Size USB Design
• Compact & trendy
• USB 2.0 High speed data transfer
• Compatiable with USB1.1 & 2.0
• Up to 15Mb/s Read; Up to 6Mb/s write
• Password protection (Optional download by user)
• Support Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OSX (10.2 or above)
• Dimension: 19 x 15 x 6mm (approx.)
• Weight: 3g

The EagleTec USB Nano Flash Drive is available for $22 for the 4GB version and $32 for the 8GB version from Brando.

DIY LCD Gift Wrap

I know what I am wrapping all my Christmas presents in this year, this fun DIY LCD Gift Wrap.

The DIY LCD Gift Wrap features a segmented LCD pattern that you can write on to make your own custom LCD messages!

If you want some, it is available for $19.50 for a set of 5 sheets from Yellow Owl Workshop.

Handmade Star Trek Clock

Check out this amazing handmade Star Trek clock, a must for Star Trek Fans.

The Star Trek Clock features 12 vintage classic action fleet micro machine starships, warships and other vessels, and each one is hand finished in a black and silver pewter colour.

This amazing Stark Trek clock is the work of YOUgNeek, and each clock is a one of a kind, you can also order a custom version with your favourite ships or vehicles.

The Star Trek Clock is available for $109.99 from YOUgNeek.

Crabble Folding iPhone Stand

If you use your iPhone on a plane of train you will know how hard it can be to watch a film on it without an additional stand.

The Crabble Folding iPhone Stand looks like the ideal solution, it can easily be folded away and stored in your wallet, and it will let you watch or use your iPhone in portrait and landscape modes.

If you want one, the Crabble Folding iPhone Stand is available for $4.99 from Think Geek.

Violet RFID Mirror

Here is a fun gadget, that is bound to provide hours of endless fun, the Violet RFID USB Mirror.

The Violet RFID USB Mirror connects to your PC via USB, it can then recognize objects and perform tasks which have been assigned to specific objects, that you have added RFID Ztamps to.

“This mirror is the first consumer RFID reader with a rich set of applications and services. It is designed to be so simple that a two-year old can use it. With this empowering, intuitive and revolutionary device, Violet is once more expanding the Internet of Things, bringing the magic and the power of content, personalization and interactivity to the thousands of inanimate objects that populate our lives and homes.”

Here are the specifications.

• Can be used with blank user programmable RFID Ztamps
• Detects up to four objects at the same time
• Movement detector to activate standby mode
• Loudspeaker (buzzer)
• 3 color LEDS to dynamically express feedback and information
• USB 2.0 connection
• Dimensions: 4″ dia x .55″ height (10 x 1.4 cm)
• Weight: 3.2 oz (90 g)
• Comes with: Mirror, 3 Ztamps RFID tags (random colors), 2 programmable Nano:ztag Micro-Rabbits, Quick start guide

The Violet RFID Mirror is available for $59.99 from Think Geek.

Belkin Micro Auto Charger

Here is the perfect car charger for your iPhone or iPod, the Belkin Micro Auto Charger.

As you can see from the photo, the design is simple, and there is just one USB port, which makes it perfect for charging your iPhone or any other gadget in your car.

The Belkin Micro Auto Charger is available for $15, or $20 with a USB cable included.

Taylor Hicks, Jamie Foxx and Natalie Cole perform on ‘Idol’ (video)

Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks as well as Natalie Cole, and this week’s mentor Jamie Foxx performed on American Idol Wednesday night.

Taylor, back in all his Soul Patrol glory, sang Seven Mile Breakdown, the latest single from his CD, The Distance. And guess what? The 32-year-old singer earned a standing ovation from the judges.

Natalie Cole arrived on stage to sing Something’s Gotta Give while Jamie Foxx performed Blame It, the second single off his third studio album Intuition.

VIDEO: Taylor Hicks sings ‘Seven Mile Breakdown’ on American Idol (April 29)

VIDEO: Natalie Cole performs ‘Something’s Gotta Give‘ on American Idol (April 29)

VIDEO: Jamie Foxx sings ‘Blame it’ on American Idol (April 29)

Matt Giraud eliminated on ‘American Idol’ (video)

There was no saving Matt Giraud this time. After a nationwide vote, the 23-year-old piano player from Kalamazoo, Michigan became the ninth finalist eliminated on American Idol. Kris Allen and Adam Lambert joined Matt in the bottom three.

The soft-spoken soul singer got a reprieve two weeks ago when the panel used their veto power to save him from elimination. Last week he earned enough viewer votes on his own to stay in the competition, but after singing “My Funny Valentine” on Tuesday, his luck ran out.

Wednesday’s results show was definitely the most surprising and suspense-filled episode this year. What happened to Adam’s legion of followers? Kris was also a strong contender but I wonder why his screaming female fans didn’t vote for him. If Adam had gone home, the show would have lost a lot of viewers.

“I’ll definitely remember being the cat with nine lives,” Matt said. “This is definitely not the last time you’ll see me,” he promised before launching a reprise of the performance that sent him packing.

VIDEO: Matt Giraud is eliminated

Text of Obama’s news conference (April 29)

The following is a transcript of President Barack Obama’s news conference on Wednesday at the White House:

Before we begin tonight, I just want to provide everyone with a few brief updates on some of the challenges we’re dealing with right now.

First, we are continuing to closely monitor the emergency cases of the H1N1 flu virus throughout the United States. As I said this morning, this is obviously a very serious situation, and every American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations.

Our public health officials have recommended that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of this flu strongly consider temporarily closing. And if more schools are forced to close, we’ve recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if their children do have to stay home.

I’ve requested an immediate $1.5 billion in emergency funding from Congress to support our ability to monitor and track this virus and to build our supply of antiviral drugs and other equipment. And we will also ensure that those materials get to where they need to be as quickly as possible.

And, finally, I’ve asked every American to take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you’re sick; and keep your children home from school if they’re sick.

We’ll continue to provide regular updates to the American people as we receive more information. And everyone should rest assured that this government is prepared to do whatever it takes to control the impact of this virus.

The second thing I’d like to mention is how gratified I am that the House and the Senate passed a budget resolution today that will serve as an economic blueprint for this nation’s future.

I especially want to thank Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, all of the members of Congress who worked so quickly and effectively to make this blueprint a reality.

This budget builds on the steps we’ve taken over the last 100 days to move this economy from recession to recovery and ultimately to prosperity.

We began by passing a Recovery Act that has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs and provided a tax cut to 95 percent of all working families. We passed a law to provide and protect health insurance for 11 million American children whose parents work full time. And we launched a housing plan that has already contributed to a spike in the number of homeowners who are refinancing their mortgages, which is the equivalent of another tax cut.

But even as we clear away the wreckage of this recession, I’ve also said that we can’t go back to an economy that’s built on a pile of sand, on inflated home prices and maxed-out credit cards, on overleveraged banks and outdated regulations that allow recklessness of a few to threaten the prosperity of all.

We have to lay a new foundation for growth, a foundation that will strengthen our economy and help us compete in the 21st century. And that’s exactly what this budget begins to do.

It contains new investments in education that will equip our workers with the right skills and training, new investments in renewable energy that will create millions of jobs and new industries, new investments in health care that will cut costs for families and businesses, and new savings that will bring down our deficit.

I also campaigned on the promise that I would change the direction of our nation’s foreign policy. And we’ve begun to do that, as well. We’ve begun to end the war in Iraq, and we forged with our NATO allies a new strategy to target al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

We have rejected the false choice between our security and our ideals by closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and banning torture without exception.

And we’ve renewed our diplomatic efforts to deal with challenges ranging from the global economic crisis to the spread of nuclear weapons.

So I think we’re off to a good start, but it’s just a start. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, but I’m not content. I’m pleased with our progress, but I’m not satisfied.

Millions of Americans are still without jobs and homes, and more will be lost before this recession is over. Credit is still not flowing nearly as freely as it should. Countless families and communities touched by our auto industry still face tough times ahead. Our projected long-term deficits are still too high, and government is still not as efficient as it needs to be.

We still confront threats ranging from terrorism to nuclear proliferation, as well as pandemic flu. And all this means you can expect an unrelenting, unyielding effort from this administration to strengthen our prosperity and our security in the second hundred days, in the third hundred days and all of the days after that.

You can expect us to work on health care reform that will bring down costs while maintaining quality, as well as energy legislation that will spark a clean-energy revolution. I expect to sign legislation by the end of this year that sets new rules of the road for Wall Street, rules that reward drive and innovation, as opposed to shortcuts and abuse.

And we will also work to pass legislation that protects credit card users from unfair rate hikes and abusive fees and penalties. We’ll continue scouring the federal budget for savings and target more programs for elimination. And we will continue to pursue procurement reform that will greatly reduce the no-bid contracts that have wasted so many taxpayer dollars.

So we have a lot of work left to do. It’s work that will take time, and it will take effort. But the United States of America, I believe, will see a better day.

We will rebuild a stronger nation, and we will endure as a beacon for all of those weary travelers beyond our shores who still dream that there’s a place where all of this is possible.

I want to thank the American people for their support and their patience during these trying times, and I look forward to working with you in the next hundred days, in the hundred days after that, all of the hundreds of days to follow to make sure that this country is what it can be.

And with that, I will start taking some questions…

Link Party: Heidi and Spencer Pig Out on Swine Flu

• How can Speidi be so the worst and so the best at the same time? Their Hills storyline is insufferable, the wedding was a joke and the music they create is atrocious, but look at them. Honeymooning in Mexico during a potential pandemic? Of course they're going to pose for pictures wearing swine-flu face masks. Because that's how much they care about entertaining us.

• Taylor Lautner's just about the luckiest teen wolf ever, he can have his pick of whatever kids' cable TV network star he wants. They're just flying them into Vancouver for him now.

• Let's see what bathing suit Lindsay Lohan is wearing today.

• Robert Pattinson considered quitting acting because it's kind of a challenging career in the beginning, which seems pretty normal, except this is Rob Pattz we're talking about.

• This Miley Cyrus interview is either crazy annoying and oddly charming. Helen Mirren looks somewhat amused, so it must be charming? Whatever the case, it's nice to have Miley back home in L.A., wearing inappropriate dresses again.

Sorry to disturb you, Shia LaBeouf, but nice purple Big Pic jeans.

Brad Pitt Films Japanese Ad, Takes Orders Nicely

Being Angelina Jolie's be-yotch is literally paying off! Brad Pitt filmed a commercial in Manhattan today, for Japanese cell phone company Softbank, which had him playing the part of an umbrella holder for a sumo wrestler.

Gosh, constantly being at someone else's beck and call comes so natural for Bradley! Once Brangelina eventually becomes kaput, maybe she can hire him on as her assistant or something. We're totally serious. There would be no tell-all book threats 'cause we all know B doesn't want any of their shenanigans made public.

Or maybe he picked up umbrella-coddling tips from Jen Aniston back in the day?

Hefner: Rumors of Wanting Holly Back Are "Bizarre"

Hugh Hefner is not sitting in the Playboy Mansion pining away for former girlfriend Holly Madison.

Hef came to me today to clear up new reports that claim—he says, falsely—that he's trying to win Madison back because she is the true love of his life. "The notion that I would want her back as a girlfriend is bizarre," he said.

Holly is a good friend, but nothing more, he said.

Besides, he's got his new girls in his life...

"I am now in one of the best relationships in memory with Crystal Harris and the twins," he said. "I'm not going to screw it up with former girlfriends."

Shortly after the 83-year-old Playboy mogul and The Girls Next Door (Holly, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt) broke up, he quickly began seeing Harris and 19-year-old sisters Karissa and Kristine Shannon.

"I would not trade Crystal Harris for anybody in the else in the world," he swooned. "And then this thing comes out and today is Crystal's birthday…It's ridiculous."

Hopefully, Hef's birthday present made her feel better. "I got her a puppy," he said. "It's an English Spaniel. It's absolutely wonderful. We've been trying to come up with a name for it."

American Idol Down to Final Four

Now this is where it gets interesting.

American Idol is down to its final four contestants after Ryan Seacrest presided over maybe the most heartstring-tugging elimination yet. Not because of tears shed, necessarily, but because these guys 'n' gal have come so darn far! And smashed cake all over each other!

The refreshingly talented remaining few will perform two songs apiece next week, meaning their chances for a blistering Simon Cowell critique will double—although so will their chances of having their outfit complimented by Paula Abdul.

But before we can look ahead, we have to say goodbye to the one who isn't a member of the vote-sanctioned foursome.

He made the most of his second chance, but Matt Giraud wasn't destined for the finish line.

Michael Becker / Fox

The 23-year-old piano player from Kalamazoo, Mich., whom the judges saved from voter indifference two weeks ago, was eliminated from the competition Wednesday after a split-decision performance on Rat Pack night.

"I'll definitely remember being the cat with nine lives up there," Giraud, fedora-topped as always, said before launching into "My Funny Valentine" one more time. "It's definitely not the last time you'll see me. I want ot thank Kalamazoo and Michigan for supporting me, and the judges for seeing something in me. I love you all, so, I can't wait."

Last night, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi weren't big fans, but Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell thought he raised the bar.

Before revealing anything whatsoever, Seacrest took on all five contestants at once, going through last night's critiques and making them stand stage right or left, prison-guard-style, before making the pitchtastic Adam Lambert choose which side he thought was safe.

He picked Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey—who, in fact, were safe.

But Adam wasn't. So he had to stand with Matt and Kris Allen instead.

Considering the bottom three constituted the majority of the remaining contestants, it wasn't the most horrible place in the world for the arena (or Broadway)-ready rocker to be—but, as Natalie Cole sang before the big reveal, "Something's Gotta Give."

"This is crazy!" Paula exclaimed. "There are five bright, shining stars!" Etc., etc. "But someone's gotta go!"

Kris got to join Allison and Danny after a performance by Taylor Hicks but before Jamie Foxx's appearance, meaning Adam and Matt were stuck standing there—for utmost dramatic effect, of course— like a couple of guys faking smiles while waiting for the bus to death row.

Then, Ryan had to tease Simon about being off his game last night (he called Matt's performance "brilliant" and thought Adam a cut above, as always).

Simon's allowed a blip or two, though. America, on the other hand... More than 47 million votes were cast and not enough were in Adam's favor to put him in the top three. Does that mean the genre-bending singer has to worry about not making the finale?

It's madness, we tell you! But at least it's the kind that makes things a little more interesting.

Another Wall Street Merger for Oliver Stone, Michael Douglas

It's not exactly time to be glamorizing those who preach that "greed is right, greed works."

But maybe that's the point.

Oscar-winning writer-director-conspiracy theorist Oliver Stone is reteaming with Wall Street star Michael Douglas for a sequel to their 1987 film about a young stockbroker who sells his moral soul for the promise of a big payday, 20th Century Fox announced Tuesday.

Douglas will reprise his role as ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko, for which he snagged the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Considering Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) may have had to go looking for a new line of work, the sequel will require new blood, and Shia LaBeouf is in talks for the role of Gekko's latest impressionable young protégé, according to trade reports.

Not surprisingly, considering both the film's directorial pedigree and the current state of the U.S. economy, the sequel (tentatively titled Wall Street 2) will be very "ripped from the headlines," per Fox spokesman Gregg Brilliant.

Sex and the City Sequel: More Men on Board

Sex and the City just received a couple of more shots of testosterone.

Fresh off the news that Chris Noth will be back as Mr. Big for the SATC sequel, I can exclusively reveal that Charlotte's hubby Harry and Miranda's hubby Steve will also reappear.

Evan Handler and David Eigenberg "have just closed their deals to come back," a source tells me.

Eigenberg's agent confimed he's signed on. Handler's rep did not immediately comment.

As you all know by now, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall are set to return along with writer-director Michael Patrick King.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer with a release on May 28, 2010.

No Peace for John Travolta, to Testify in Extortion Case

Courtesy of Travolta Family

John Travolta can hardly be over the hell of losing his son, Jett. Now, he's being asked to re-live it.

Bahamian prosecutors announced today that they still intend to call Travolta as a key witness in the trial of the two people charged with trying to extort millions from the grieving family.

Prosecutors revealed the new witness list after Bahamian Senior Supreme Court Judge Anita Allen announced the case against former Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater and paramedic Tarino Lightbourne would begin on Sept. 21.

Lightbourne, 47, is accused of conspiring with his attorney, Bridgewater, 49, in a plot targeting Travolta and wife Kelly Preston. The defendants allegedly claimed to have embarrassing information regarding the circumstances of Jett's Jan. 2 death, and demanded $25 million in hush money.

Bridgewater and Lightbourne were arraigned together. Asked to enter a plea to the charges, both replied: "Absolutely not guilty."

Prosecutors had originally announced they intended to call Travolta to the stand back in January, shortly after the arrests, but the actor's camp has not yet signaled whether he intends to travel to the Bahamas for the proceedings.

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, will is also expected to feature testimony from Travolta family friend and MP Obie Wilchcombe, who was a central figure in the investigation.

Both Bridgewater and Lightbourne informed the court that they intend to give notice within 21 days as to whether they intend to present their alibis or call witnesses on their behalf.

Bridgewater's attorney attempted to convince the court that the trial should be held in Grand Bahama, where she would presumably get a more sympathetic jury, but Anita denied the request.

Both defendants remain free on $50,000 until the trial, but Lightbourne has to check in daily with police.

Britney's Family Keeps Sam Lutfi Away for Good

From this point on, this will be a Sam Lutfi-free decade for Britney Spears.

A judge on Tuesday granted the singer's request for permanent restraining orders against Lutfi and Jon Eardley, the attorney who tried unsuccessfully last year to fight Britney's conservatorship.

According to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb's ruling, neither man can contact the Circus star or come within 100 feet of her home, work, car or family until April 28, 2012.

The Spears camp, headed up by dad Jamie, has been looking to keep Lutfi out of Britney's life for nearly 15 months ago, since her father was appointed coconservator of her affairs and Lutfi admitted to medicating Britney by crushing up pills in her food.

He had originally agreed to lay low, but ultimately fired back in February with a defamation suit, accusing the Spears family of dragging his name through the mud.

Both he and Eardley had fought the bid to keep them restrained for years at a time, arguing that there was no evidence of harassment on their part.

Bobb issued a similar order against shutterbug Adnan Ghalib, Britney's ex from her less productive days, last month.

Ghalib is currently facing felony charges for allegedly hitting a process server with his car when the man tried to hand him notice of the once-temporary restraining order against him. The sometime-paparazzo, who has pleaded innocent, is also being sued by his alleged victim.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick Expecting Twins!

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival

Split, shmit! Instead of going their separate ways, as has been whispered and denied for weeks, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are pooling their assets yet again.

The couple are expecting twin daughters via surrogate mother, E! News confirmed Tuesday.

Parker, 44, and Broderick, 47, also have a son, 6-year-old James Wilkie.

They are "overjoyed" to be expecting two healthy baby girls, a rep for the couple said in a statement.

American Idol Without Simon Cowell?

How close is Simon Cowell to exiting American Idol? What's the difference between Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien? And what would make Tyra Banks' head explode (with happiness)?

The answers—and more questions—in the latest TV ratings pop quiz:

1. If Cowell has said he doesn't want to do Idol when it slips from No. 1—and he has—then how more much time should we give him and his T-shirt collection? Quite a few more wash cycles, probably. Right now, Idol is about as dominant as it's been since the Tuesday edition became TV's most-watched show in 2005. Last season, the franchise's average audience lead over the next-biggest show was 29 percent; this season, it's 27 percent. In adults 18-49, Tuesday's and Wednesday's Idol is in its own league entirely.

2. Did Cowell already miss his best exit opportunity? Perhaps. To go out on the toppest of tops, Cowell arguably should have left after the 2006-07 season, when Idol's Sanjaya-swayed audience led the next-biggest show by more than 9 million viewers, or a whopping 45 percent.

3. Where did Idol finish last week? No. 1, of course, Tuesday's disco Idol scored the biggest audience (24 million), per the latest Nielsen rankings. It was followed by Wednesday's Idol (23.9 million), natch, Monday's Dancing With the Stars (20.5 million), Tuesday's DWTS (14.7 million) and CSI (14.6 million). In the demo, Wednesday's Idol took the top spot over Tuesday's Idol, Grey's Anatomy, Monday's DWTS and Desperate Housewives.

4. How can you tell Fallon and O'Brien apart? Fallon's the one who is a smidgen more popular as a talk host. With Fallon at the desk, Late Night has widened its lead over Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show, and averaged 2.2 million weekly viewers versus the 2 million O'Brien's Late Night was drawing earlier this season. (The two's ratings among adults 18-49 are virtually identical, although Fallon has the slight edge there, too.) O'Brien, who departed Late Night on Feb. 20, takes over The Tonight Show on June 1, at which point he and his ratings will be interminably compared to Jay Leno's.

5. How can you tell CBS and the CW apart? On the CW, a 41st-place finish would make Tyra Banks' head explode, in a good way. On CBS, a 41st-place finish, and another time-slot loss to Southland, gets Harper's Island exiled to Saturday night, pronto.

6. Why should Banks' head be pretty big, as is? Because her America's Next Top Model is the one CW show consistently doing what the CW wants its shows to do: Score chicks. Last week, Model finished 13th among women 18-34, ahead of Fringe (14th) and Tuesday's DWTS (15th), and way ahead of One Tree Hill (27th) and Gossip Girl (33rd).

7. What's the new SpongeBob SquarePants? Nick's Penguins of Madagascar continues to try to wear the short pants in the cable family. Last week, the new toon placed five daytime and prime-time broadcasts in cable's Top 60. Not to be outdone yet, SpongeBob placed 13.

8. What's more entertaining than watching young men with thick necks take phone calls, and thank their agents? Oh, not much. Saturday's ESPN coverage of the NFL draft was cable's third biggest overall show, with 5.1 million enthralled viewers. WWE Raw (5.3 million for back-to-back episodes), Sunday Night Baseball (4.6 million), iCarly (4.5 million) and the season finale of For the Love of Ray J (4.2 million) were the top prime-time shows.

9. How did Patrick Swayze's The Beast close out its first season? Not at all like it began it: from 2.4 million for January's premiere, to 849,000 for last week's finale.

Why Do Stars—Like Salma—Have Two Weddings?

Celebs get married like normal people, but why do they need to have several weddings to the same person in order to celebrate?
—N.M.

First of all, no. Oh dear God, no. Celebrities do not marry like normal people. Not unless normal people demand thick nondisclosure agreements of their flower sellers and booze pourers, and thousands of dollars worth of free candles and dresses and cakes.

Did your cousin in Kalamazoo withhold the location and exact date of her wedding from her vendors until the day before the event, the way TomKat did? Point made.

So. Why did Salmita need two weddings? And Gwen Stefani? And Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady? Sure, logistics have a lot to do with it, and the paps. But the biggest factor is something much less flattering...

...and that's ego.

"The celebrity bride that keeps going and going is the quintessential actress, always needing to be the center of attention," one wedding vendor tells me. "Every bride is a celebrity on her wedding day, so that celebrity bride needs to have that spotlight magnified 100 times."

In other words, 100 weddings, if possible. Some more practical reasons for multiple weddings:

1. Celebrities Are Popular: They have friends all over the planet and must make sure every single one of them gets to see the bride in her hand-painted Galliano dress. When native Californian Stefani married British Gavin Rossdale, their English friends attended the London wedding at an Anglican church; the rest went to a second wedding held near the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

2. Celebrities Crave Privacy: Especially when they're pledging their love for each other. In that aspect, they're quite normal. "Celebrity couples may have a destination wedding to have something more intimate, so they don't have every agent and publicist in town at their wedding," says Harmony Walton, whose Bridal Bar has served celebrity brides like Katherine Heigl. "They'll have a destination wedding, and once they've had the moment that really counts, they come back and celebrate with everyone."

3. Celebrities Want to Avoid the Paparazzi: Sometimes. Especially on their wedding day, when exclusive wedding pics can sell for six figures—but only if they're exclusive. So celebrities will plan a small, sneaky wedding—which is easier to keep away from paps—and then a larger one, where privacy doesn't matter so much.

To be fair, plenty of celebrities have just one wedding and stick to it. Heigl had only one. So did Fergie, and even TomKat, technically. (Their postwedding party in L.A. was just a party, not another ceremony.)

And I also hear that when former Girl Next Door Kendra Wilkinson marries her Hank Baskett at the Playboy Mansion this summer, there will be only one, massive, hulking wedding.

American Idolers Channel the Rat Pack

The theater was alive with the sounds of Vegas circa 1965.

We didn't get a look at any ol' blue eyes, but American Idol's Top Five exceeded expectations on Rat Pack night, a tribute to standards made extra popular during the mid-'60s, when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and their entertaining cohorts reigned in Sin City.

Jamie Foxx played mentor tonight and, thankfully, he left the vocal theatrics to his talented charges.

The finale is three weeks away and, with no glaringly weak link in the group, the contestants entered tonight's show knowing they had to kill it to stand out. And while we figured Adam Lambert wouldn't have too much trouble fashioning a polished performance out of a retro hit, what of Allison Iraheta? Or Kris Allen? Or any of the others who don't look as if he were born in front of an audience, microphone in hand?

Kris Allen: The sweet-faced singer ditched the guitar and turned up the charm for "The Way You Look Tonight," even taking a little walk with the microphone at one point to further prove that he can both flirt with an audience and croon at the same time. He rocked his Seacrest-style suit and skinny tie and did a pitch-perfect rendition of the Oscar-winning wedding standard, which was already 30 years old by the time Sinatra got his hands on it. Randy Jackson thought it was his best performance to date, and Kara DioGuardi got so excited, she complimented his "diction"—along with his "impeccable phrasing," rhythm and timing. And yet Simon Cowell compared him to a "well-trained Spaniel."

Allison Iraheta: The Rat Pack wasn't only a boys' club—Shirley MacLaine, Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe got to hang with Frankie and Dean, too. And we know that just because Allison's too young to even stop by for a drink doesn't mean she can't rip a hole in your heart with torch songs like "Someone to Watch Over Me." Wow! Some of her high notes sounded a little iffy—mainly because her rasp is so good—but once again, the little one proved wise beyond her years. "You did it in your own rough, kinda gruff, kinda style, and I loved it," Randy raved. "If that doesn't land you in the finals, I don't know what will," added Kara. But Simon, Mr. Doomsayer tonight, said he had the "horrible feeling" Allison could be in trouble.

Michael Becker / Fox

Matt Giraud: The fedora-wearing piano player (dude, you aren't actually Justin Timberlake) may not have the fan base but he's got an edge to his voice that Kris, as talented as he is, just doesn't have. At first we weren't impressed by his take on "My Funny Valentine," but once he stood up to take the tune home, Matt was no longer our default choice to go home. But Randy thought there were pitch problems and Kara complained that he lacked an emotional connection to the song. And Simon agreed with…Paula, who thought it "pure, simple and really impressive." "For me," Simon said, "it was the only believable, authentic song I've heard tonight…I thought you were absolutely brilliant."

Danny Gokey: The competition's elder, at 27, is a great singer, but he didn't do as much stylistically with "Come Rain or Come Shine" as Kris or Matt did with their songs—until the end, when he busted out some runs and a big, booming finish that really got our attention. "You are the only one I've heard so far tonight that actually could have an album of songs like that—and win!" exclaimed Randy. Paula thought the performance "stellar," Kara was happy to finally see some "Rat Pack swagger" from him, and Simon—one of Danny's biggest critics of late—thought he was "outstanding."

Michael Becker / Fox

Adam Lambert: Building on Muse's 2001 cover of "Feeling Good," Adam revamped (emphasis on the vamped) the 1965 show tune into a glam-rock staple, capping it all off with a high note that reached…well, wherever it is people wear shiny white suits like his. Randy thought it a tad theatrical, but Simon pointed out that was akin to critiquing a cow for mooing. Kara couldn't contain herself, calling Adam "shocking and sleazy and superb and way over the top"—in a good way—while Paula said, "With every performance that I see, it's like watching the Olympics and you're our Michael Phelps."

Well, we're getting down to the wire here, folks. For us, this was one of the more impressive Top Five nights in several seasons—usually someone totally blows it but, after tonight, we feel everyone is worthy of a spot in the final four.