Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 scholar Chivas Malunda got a forced expulsion — this after several attacks of hyperventilation syndrome. His health is of prime concern. Because of this, voting for Laarni and Inaki have been cancelled.

Nokia Corporporation is buying symbian that makes the software for its phones and making it available for free to other manufacturers, in hopes of blunting the influence of competing software providers. Nokia said that it is offering to buy the 52 percent of Britain’s Symbian Ltd. that it doesn’t already own for about $410 million. Symbian’s software is the most widely used on high-end phones. Nokia will then establish a foundation with handset makers Sony Ericsson and Motorola Inc. and Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo to make the software available royalty-free. They will combine their three different versions of the Symbian software for advanced, data-enabled phones into one open platform. AT&T Inc., LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co., STMicroelectronics N.V., Texas Instruments Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC will also join the foundation. Nokia said it expects the acquisition to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2008 and is subject to regulatory approval.

Microsoft has released the file format converters that allow Office 2004 for Mac to read the Open XML file formats that were introduced in Office 2007 for Windows. The converters were originally due to be available close to the launch of Office 2007, but have been delayed several times. In any case, the converters are now available for download, along with some other updates for both Office 2004 and Office 2008. One of the factors in the long wait for the converters, Microsoft said, was the fact that its team was hard at work on Office 2008. Perhaps a new hiring spree means that in the future Microsoft can offer both compatibility for older versions and work on new products at the same time.

Sony is adding to its recent release, Bravia LCD TV range with a new 32-inch model that consumes considerably less power than existing sets.  Based on an average of 4.5 hours of viewing per day, the set will consume 86kWh (kilowatt hours) of power versus 115kWh for Sony’s existing 32-inch Bravia model. That’s a 25 percent reduction in annual power consumption. Driving this is the backlight that is behind the screen. The new set has fluorescent tubes that provide higher luminance efficiency at lower voltage and an optical film that transmits light better so fewer tubes can be used but the picture appears just as bright as on the existing models. The television also contains recycled materials from old Sony televisions and makes use of waste from the optical film production process to achieve a 40 percent cut in Carbon Dioxide (CO2) output during the manufacturing process. However the TV still contains PVC and BFRs (brominated flame retardant), two chemicals that have been criticized by environmental groups for their use in consumer electronics products. Most major electronics makers are moving towards phasing out the chemicals but are yet to do so entirely. Consumers will have to pay slightly more for the greener TV set. The KDL-32JE1 will cost around ¥150,000 (US$1,400) in Japan, which is about ¥10,000 more than the standard 32-inch model. The new set is part of a push by Sony to reduce the amount of energy used by its products.

Hyundai offers (which is available only in Japan) the first TV for watching 3-D programs that cable stations in Japan now broadcast about four times a day. The 46-inch liquid-crystal display requires 3-D glasses which are so expensive amounting up to $3,960, including two pairs of glasses, or about 25 percent more than a comparable regular LCD TV and the only programs available so far include just a few minutes of video from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Seen on regular TVs, 3D programs split the screen vertically so the same image appears in both the left and right halves. Conversely, wearing the 3-D glasses while watching regular programming on the Hyundai 3-D TV produces a slight 3-D effect. The TV uses stereoscopic technology called TriDef from DDD Group Plc in Santa Monica, California, which works by sending the same image separately for the left eye and the right eye. Samsung already sells 3-D rear projection TVs in the U.S., but there are no 3-D TV broadcasts in the United States. The technology is also available on desktop monitors and for video games. Hyundai IT is hoping to boost its image by gaining a niche audience in Japan, where the TV market is dominated by Sony Corp. and Sharp Corp.

Rumors have it that Kris and James are having problems again(!). And the info spreads like wildfire due to Kris’ failure to seal her lips.  Accordingly, it was Kris herself who has been telling all and sundry that her husband James’s lifestyle is like that of an unmarried man. People noticed also that Kris did not publicly greet James on Father’s Day and never mentioned him as one of her most important possession in life. Someone has confirmed that Kris is really having a marriage counseling which only proves that she is truly undergoing marital problems.  Another instance of her problematic situation with James was when Kris stayed for a while at Discovery Suite after a heated argument with her husband.

AGB Nielsen Philippines conducted a weekend survey among Mega Manila households and revealed  the Top 10 daytime and primetime programs   as follows:

June 20 (Friday) Daytime:
1. Magdusa Ka (GMA-7) - 21.9%
2. Daisy Siete (GMA-7) - 21.4%
3. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 21.3%
4. El Cuerpo del Deseo (ABS-CBN) - 16.3%
5. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) - 15.6%
6. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 14.5%
7. Ligaw Na Bulaklak (ABS-CBN) - 14%
8. Da Big Show (GMA-7) - 11%
9. Boy & Kris (ABS-CBN) - 8.7%
10. SiS (GMA-7) - 8.4%

Primetime:
1. Dyesebel (GMA-7) - 41.9%
2. Babangon Ako’t Dudurugin Kita (GMA-7) - 37.4%
3. Joaquin Bordado (GMA-7) 35.7%
4. 24 Oras (GMA-7) - 29.3%
5. The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 23.5%
6. Pinoy Dream Academy (ABS-CBN) - 22.8%
7. My Girl (ABS-CBN) - 22.4%
8. Dalja’s Spring (GMA-7) - 22%
9. Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 21.7%
10. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 19.2% 

June 21 (Saturday) Daytime
1. Wish Ko Lang (GMA-7) - 25.1%
2. Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) - 23.5%
3. Pinoy Records (GMA-7) - 21.3%
4. Jungle TV (GMA-7) - 18.4%
5. Wowowee (ABS-CBN) 16.7%
6. StarTalk (GMA-7) - 16%
7. Cinema FPJ: Da King on ABS-CBN (ABS-CBN) - 15.4%
8. That’s My Doc (ABS-CBN) - 14.9%
9. Pilipinas, Game KNB? (ABS-CBN) - 11.5%
10. Entertainment Live (ABS-CBN) - 10.7%

Primetime:
1. Bitoy’s Funniest Videos (GMA-7) - 31%
2. Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (GMA-7) - 29.2%
3. Pinoy Dream Academy (ABS-CBN) - 25.3%
4. Pinoy Idol (GMA-7) - 24.7%
5. Kapitan Boom (ABS-CBN) - 22.1%
6. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 20.8%
7. Imbestigador (GMA-7) - 20%
8. XXX (ABS-CBN) - 16.8%
9. Songbird (GMA-7) - 8.6%
10. Sine Totoo (GMA-7) - 6.2% 
June 22 (Sunday) Daytime:
1. Showbiz Central (GMA-7) – 17.6%
2. The Buzz (ABS-CBN) – 17.3%
3. Flash Report (GMA-7) – 16.8%
4. Your Song (ABS-CBN) – 14.3%
5. Pinoy Idol Extra (GMA-7) 14.1%
6. Tasya Fantasya (GMA-7) – 13.9%
7. SOP (GMA-7) – 13.6%
8. ASAP ‘08 (ABS-CBN) – 11.8%
9. Jungle TV (GMA-7) – 11.5%
10. Gaby’s Extraordinary Files (ABS-CBN) – 9.3%

Primetime:
1. Mel & Joey (GMA-7) – 27%
2. Pinoy Idol (GMA-7) – 26.9%
3. Kap’s Amazing Stories (GMA-7) – 26.7%
4. All Star K (GMA-7) – 26.1%
5. Rated K (ABS-CBN) – 23.2%
6. Goin’ Bulilit (ABS-CBN) – 22%
7. Pinoy Dream Academy (ABS-CBN) – 21.6%
8. Kapusolympics (GMA-7) – 16.4%
9. TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) – 16.1%
10. Sharon (ABS-CBN) – 13.8%

In celebration of the Philippine Environment Month, there will be a BagatHangin Musikahan Battle of the Bands this Sunday, June 29, at 1pm, at the SM North EDSA Activity Center. Guest performers are Session Road, Akafellas, and Lou Bonnevie. A public screening of the GMA7 kapuso documentary, Signos: Banta ng Nagbabagang Klima, will also be shown, with investigative reporter Raffy Tima as guest.

The event is jointly organized by EMB-DENR, ECAP-USAID, LCP, Dimitri Productions, SM North EDSA, and GMA Network. Sponsors are Nestle Philippines and PLDT Landline Plus. Open to the public.

Songbird Regine Velasquez prefers a simple wedding — and even jokes about a wedding at famous and high-traffic fastfood chain Chowking, where she would be with her family and closest friends. Regine also says that she’s ready to get married, and that she has found the one.

Regine is busy promoting Urduja, the first full length Filipino animated films.

Google Welcomes you to a new kind of space race, where the earthly guest will be a machine and the goal is as much exploration. This quest is part of the Google Lunar X Prize, which will put $20 million into the hands of the first privately funded team that can land a rover on the moon; have it travel on the surface for 500 meters or more; send back data, photos and video; and do it all by December 31, 2012. The prize drops to $15 million after that date and goes away altogether after 2014. One of the main requirements is to have as little government involvement in the project as. So if you think your one of the geeks inventor qualified in this race, Go and form you’re team in reaching the goal of First Filipinos to land a rover on the moon.