Nicki Minaj's 'Starships' Video: All Hail The Queen

Young Money rapper throws a futuristic beach party in Anthony Mandler-directed clip.
By Rob Markman

Nicki Minaj in her "Starships" music video
Photo: Universal Music Group

Yes, starships were meant to fly, and rap's reigning queen was clearly meant to don a bikini and throw raving beach parties. Nicki Minaj finally released her "Starships" video Thursday night (April 26), and all her Barbz were invited to an electric beach party.

The Anthony Mandler-directed clip begins with a computer-generated UFO circling a tranquil Hawaiian island looking for a soft spot to land. While the natives lie on the beach, Ms. Minaj gets beamed down into the shallow waters sporting green hair and a sexy pink bathing suit.

It was back in March when pictures from the set first made their way online, and now that the video is finally here, it was clearly worth the wait. To see the Young Money starlet in motion is a thing of beauty. Not only does the curvaceous rap star frolic in the water, she then crawls through the sand on all fours creating a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue sort of moment.

The Minaj idol worship is in full effect as buff and tattooed male servants carry her around the island like the queen she is, but as the beat on the RedOne-produced dance hit picks up, so does the video's action. By the time the song's electro breakdown kicks in, the party gets jumping and Mandler employs a groovy kaleidoscope visual effect, which precisely captures the track's energy.

The clip climaxes as bonfires are set, flaming staffs are twirled and body paint is tossed about. Nicki parties hard with her flock jumping up and down, fist-pumping and dancing the night away. There's no grand story line or deep, hidden meaning; instead the Harajuku Barbie simply offers up a good time. The "Starships" video isn't exactly rocket science, it's just fly — exactly how it was meant to be.

What do you think of Nicki Minaj's "Starships" video? Share your reviews in the comments!

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Is The Brydge Finally the Perfect iPad Keyboard Case?

The Brydge iPad keyboard case, a Kickstarter project, looks very promising.? It features a full-sized keyboard in an aerospace-grade aluminum body, and it has a patent-pending hinge system that uses friction and magnets to securely hold your iPad – even when you try to shake it apart.? The hinge rotates through almost 180-degrees, so you’ll [...]

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Engadget HD Podcast 296 - 04.25.2012

It took an extra day, but we've got new Engadget HD podcast for you covering DVR news from such luminaries as whiteman Technologies, Dish Network and TiVo. Of course, they're not the only ones busy over the last few days as Cablevision and Time Warner Cable added new wrinkle to their IPTV offerings and DirecTV brings the DVR to hotels. On the business end of things we've got quarterly numbers from Netflix, Verizon and AT&T, while DTS and SRS Labs are getting together to do... something.

Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: Trent Wolbe

00:20:00 - Eyes-on Whiteman Technology's Delta DVR, plus more hardware details

00:25:45 - Dish adds Pandora to Hopper Whole-Home DVR system
00:34:43 - TiVo quietly rebrands the Premiere Elite DVR as the Premier XL4 under cover of darkness
00:36:20 - Cablevision's Optimum Online live TV streaming now available on Windows and Mac
00:38:07 - Time Warner Cable brings ESPN, Fox and Turner sports live streaming to apps, website
00:39:53 - DirecTV DVRs available in over 100 hotels, never miss the restaurant opening times again
00:45:00 - DirecTV drops NFL Sunday Ticket price for current subscribers
00:50:21 - Netflix Q1 results: 3 million new streaming subscribers worldwide, record viewing hours
00:56:21 - Verizon's vitals: quarterly revenue up five percent to $28 billion, earnings of $1.7 billion
00:58:45 - Google TV's TV and Movies app gets to know you better with ratings, favorites and more
01:04:30 - DTS and SRS Labs to combine into one big happy family
01:07:40 - Must See HDTV (April 23rd - 29th)

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Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget HD Podcast 296 - 04.25.2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London Olympics To Visitors: Don?t Share What You See

Don't copy that pole vault! According to the London 2012 Olympic "conditions for ticket holders," you are not allowed to take pictures or video of the events nor are you allowed to "exploit" any video on social networks.

Images, video and sound recordings of the Games taken by a Ticket Holder cannot be used for any purpose other than for private and domestic purposes and a Ticket Holder may not license, broadcast or publish video and/or sound recordings, including on social networking websites and the internet more generally, and may not exploit images, video and/or sound recordings for commercial purposes under any circumstances, whether on the internet or otherwise, or make them available to third parties for commercial purposes.

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Romney easily wins five primaries; Santorum lags far behind in Pa. (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Google Releases A Playbook For ?Winning With Mobile?

As Google continues to push businesses to embrace mobile advertising, it's trying to make that process a little less intimidating with a new publication titled "The Mobile Playbook: The Busy Executive's Guide to Winning with Mobile." The playbook is co-written by Jason Spero, Google's head of mobile sales and strategy (he joined through the acquisition of AdMob), who predicated in February that one million small businesses globally will build a mobile website this year. I don't think any of the advice is particularly revelatory, but it's still a nice distillation of how Google thinks businesses should build their mobile strategies.

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Navy Grounds Drone Copters, Then Spends Quarter-Billion to Buy More [Drones]

Just weeks after the Navy grounded its favorite fleet of unmanned spy copters, the admirals announced that they're spending another quarter-billion dollars to buy even more of the drones. More »

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Comments - Conglomerate Blog: Business, Law, Economics & Society

Posted by Robert B. Thompson

Less than two years after the Dodd Frank Act added hundreds of pages of new rules for securities law and financial regulation more generally, we have new securities regulation of a decidedly deregulatory bent. President Obama signed the JOBS Act (the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act) on April 5, 2012 and the results will immediately affect those who teach either securities regulation or corporations courses. In a series of posts that follow, Joan Heminway and I will address key aspects of the new legislation including : (1) amendments to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 raising the threshold for this gateway to reporting status from 500 shareholders of record to 2000 shareholders of record or 500 unaccredited shareholders; (2) the ?on-ramp? which will free most companies doing an Initial Public Offering from having to comply with a whole series of obligations of reporting companies for up to five years after their public offering; and (3) crowdfunding which seeks to facilitate capital raising by permitting issuers to raise up to $ 1 million without having to comply with the core provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. This post provides a brief introduction and a bit of history underlying the act?s development and passage.

In a period in which the news has brought us numerous examples of Republicans and Democrats not able to agree on legislative policy, it is surprising that securities regulation has been a point of bi-partisan agreement in an election year. The JOBS Act received almost 400 votes in the House and passed the Senate 73-26. What explains such success? In part, it is the opening left by the unpleasantness of the 2011 debt ceiling and budget fiascos; both parties had some incentive to show they could agree on something. Nurturing capital raising was easily subsumed within the label of job creation which remains the more salient tag line for this election cycle. And never underestimate the value of a catchy acronym in the passage of legislation. When six different pieces of legislation, with sometimes long and nondescript names, got bundled within a single bill that could be described as the JOBS Act, prospects of passage improved. It probably also mattered that securities regulation was relatively unimportant to legislators, as compared to the debt ceiling or even changes to transportation or aviation regulations, so that once the bill gained momentum, serious opposition could not gain traction.

The timeline for the bill begins in the aftermath of the passage of Dodd Frank in 2010 and the success of Republicans in elections later that year, but the intellectual origins date back much longer. When Republicans gained control of the House and its committees, they held hearings on a series of deregulatory bills in securities, including crowdfunding, which in some sense reflects the ideas of microfinancing that have grown around the world in recent times. Congressman Darrell Issa, chair of an important committee, and SEC Chair Mary Shapiro exchanged letters in the spring of 2011 with the congressman pushing for a series of deregulatory changes and the SEC?s head setting out a series of possible agency actions. One of the issues the congressman raised related to Facebook which, in the winter of 2010-2011, explored ways to stay longer in its unregulated status before making an IPO. In addition there had been discussions ever since the bursting of the dot.com bubble at the turn of the century that the United States was suffering from a decline in its share of IPOs, an issue that had the attention of New York?s senators. In the fall of 2011 a private task force, with strong Silicon Valley representation, proposed the on-ramp. President Obama came out in support of the reform effort. Although institutional groups and Mary Shaprio raised concerns about the changes, the bill was on its way to passage. Opponents of the bill could not get the supermajority 60 votes necessary to block consideration of an alternative bill in the Senate, achieving only amendments to the crowdfunding provisions that added additional fraud protections for issuers and platforms.

Thus we have a bill that provides the first change in the public/private line of 1934 Act in almost half century, a dramatic bifurcation of regulation for 1934 Act reporting companies, and new freedom for smallest issuers in raising funds. Details will be discussed in subsequent posts.

Forum: JOBS Act | Bookmark

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'Hunger Games' Experts Weigh In On 'Catching Fire' Director Francis Lawrence

'I've heard amazing things about him, so it's gonna be a fun ride,' film's co-star Josh Hutcherson says of series' new director.
By Fallon Prinzivalli

Francis Lawrence
Photo: Ian Gavan/ Getty Images

"Hunger Games" fans are wiping away their goodbye-Gary-Ross tears and getting ready to welcome Francis Lawrence into the world of Panem. If he accepts Lionsgate's offer, the "I Am Legend" director will take over the successful franchise's sequel, "Catching Fire." We spoke to a few "Hunger Games" fansite experts to gauge their thoughts on the director. They agree he was a good choice to helm the film and are putting their faith in Lionsgate's decision.

Hunger Games Examiner Sara Gundell was "really excited" by the news of Lionsgate's offer. She felt that he was the best option of all the rumored directors. "I had been really disappointed when Gary Ross left," she said. "And knowing that Francis Lawrence was going to take over, it got me excited again about the franchise. I think he's going to do really amazing things. And I think of all of the other directors that Lionsgate was considering, or that we know they were considering, he brought kind of everything to the table in my opinion."

As a fan of the previous films he's directed, Arianna Ruiz from Down With the Capitol believes Lawrence can give fans the "Catching Fire" they're greatly anticipating. "I loved 'I Am Legend.' I loved 'Water for Elephants,' especially. So, when I found out that he was chosen to direct 'Catching Fire,' I'm like, he can totally bring a movie that the fans want to see," she said.

Amanda Belcher from The Hob tells us she's trusting Lionsgate's decision. "I'm hoping that Lionsgate chose him because they really thought that he could do the 'Catching Fire' that fans really want to see and that we deserve," she said. "I'm hoping that he can really come through and becomes a fan of the material, and take what screenplay is there and work with Suzanne [Collins] and [producer] Nina [Jacobson] and really pull this together for us."

Meanwhile, "Hunger Games" co-star Josh Hutcherson told The Hollywood Reporter that he's "excited" to meet Lawrence. "I've heard amazing things about him, so it's gonna be a fun ride," he said.

If Peeta Mellark is eager to see Lawrence's vision for the film, count us in!

"Catching Fire" is slated to hit theaters on November 22, 2013.

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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• The Hunger Games

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AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology

AMD kicked off 2012 by refreshing its desktop graphics, and now it's back, giving its mobile GPUs the same treatment. The company just announced its third generation of DirectX 11 mobile chips, the Radeon HD 7000 family. All told, the collection includes three 28nm GPUs: the high-end 7900M, the mainstream 7800M and, last but not least, the 7700M, a darling little chip intended for AMD's thin and light Ultrabook competitors. Across the board, the series ushers in a new feature AMD is calling Enduro, a graphics-switching technology that takes direct aim at NVIDIA Optimus. Building on older AMD technologies like PowerXpress, it doesn't require you to close apps, reboot your system or manually specify which apps will trigger the GPU. Additionally, it's designed to work with both Intel CPUs and AMD's own application processing units, so presumably you'll find this inside some Ivy Bridge machines too. With this generation, too, the two higher-end chips support the PCI Express 3.0 interface, and all three make use of AMD's existing ZeroCore Power and Power Gating battery-saving features. That's the abridged version, but we also have a full breakdown of the specs awaiting you past the break.

Continue reading AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology

AMD announces Radeon HD 7000M series with Enduro graphics-switching technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Christopher Mintz-Plasse Crosses His Fingers For 'Kick-Ass 2' In Today's Twitter-Wood

Chloe Moretz hinted for months at a "Kick-Ass" sequel. Jane Goldman, who co-wrote the script with Matthew Vaughn, said the duo probably wouldn't pen the next script, but would oversee the project as producers. And now, Christopher Mintz-Plasse says he'd be on board! With all the rumors and waiting it feels like "Arrested Development" and [...]

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Official.fm Launches Its New Music Promotion Platform

These days, it seems SoundCloud is the player to beat in the music platform space. It's been called (among other things) the ?Flickr for audio? or the ?YouTube for audio.? Evidence of this lies in the fact that the company raised $50 million in January at a $200 million pre-money valuation -- they must be doing something right. Instead of competing with SoundCloud, Official.fm is taking things in a slightly different direction. Today Official.fm launched a new music sharing and promotion platform that aims to become the only music platform that professionals will need.

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Watch an Adorable Girl Grow from a Baby to 12 Years Old in Less Than Three Minutes [Video]

Frans Hofmeester filmed his adorable daughter Lotte every week, from when she was a baby to how old she is now (12 years old), and stitched all the videos together to make this amazing time lapse video that shows what growing up looks like. More »

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Peaches Geldof Gives Birth To Baby Boy Astala

Peaches Geldof Gives Birth To Baby Boy Astala

British socialite Peaches Geldof, the daughter of Live Aid founder Bob Geldof and the late Paula Yates, welcomed her first child. “Yes, it’s true – [...]

Peaches Geldof Gives Birth To Baby Boy Astala Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

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Thriving Amid An Explosion of UDID Alternatives

The mobile app industry is in a state of confusion in the wake of Apple?s recent measures to wean developers from the UDID (Unique Device Identifier), a function broadly used for determining the effectiveness of mobile advertising. In the short term, it seems that notions of an imminent Apple ban on use of UDIDs are premature. However, most in the market have concluded that they need to move toward new methods of marketing attribution for iOS device based advertising. The key for entrepreneurs and mobile app brands is moving to alternatives that will best allow their businesses to thrive. Here are the alternatives and here's how pick which ones you should use:

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Virgin and Boost to go 4G, makes Sprint's WiMAX feel wanted

If you were thinking "how wonderful, but..." when you learned that Boost was getting a new 4G handset, hold that thought. If reports from Technobuffalo are to be believed, both Boost and Virgin Mobile will be renewing their vows with host provider Sprint and getting access to its 4G spread. Surprisingly, this apparently only extends to the existing WiMAX, not LTE infrastructure. While WiMAX isn't Sprint's favorite 4G flavor, it has at least committed to keeping it going for a while yet, enough time for you to upgrade once more at least.

Virgin and Boost to go 4G, makes Sprint's WiMAX feel wanted originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interviews: 5 Things You Should Avoid Saying in a Job Interview ...

By Paul Cook

Preparation is an extremely important part of an interview. You will have to put your best face forward because you will only have a short time amount to make an impression on which you will be judged for the job position. Therefore, it is extremely crucial that you prepare well for the interview and make the best possible impression to be seriously considered for the job. In this regards, there are certain things that you should avoid saying or asking at all cost because they will completely jeopardize your interview. Therefore, you should avoid saying the following things in a job interview or you may very well bid the job goodbye:

I do not know about the business of your company

Saying this will mean that you have come to the interview unprepared and hence, are not serious about the job. Therefore, you should always research about the company and have an idea about their business. This will not only enable you to impress your interviewer but will also increase your chances as you will be able to communicate how your skills will contribute to the business.

I do not have any weaknesses

As important as it is to make the most favorable impression, refrain from telling your interviewer that you do not have any weaknesses. The reason for this is that it roughly translates as this: ?I am narrow-minded? or ?I?m being dishonest to you?. The employer expects you to be honest and have an answer prepared for this question. You should articulate your answer in a tactful manner because the weakness that you will communicate with them should not compromise your chances for the job.

I hated my last job/ boss

This is an absolute no-no. No matter how much you hated your last job or how much of a nightmare your last boss was; never cite that as the reason for you leaving your last job. You should not speak any ill of your last company and should handle this question in a tactful manner. If you do not do this, two things will go against you. Firstly, you are implying that you have poor people skills and secondly, your employer would be put off thinking that you will be doing the same against them when you will leave them.

No questions, thanks

At the end of the interview, your interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. Make sure that you have questions prepared because if you do not have any questions to ask, this will only mean that you are not interested in the company.

How much will you pay?

Never ask about your salary or make any negotiations until a job offer is made to you.? In the round of interviews, your employees are evaluating whether you are the right person for the job. Once they have determined this, then they will put their offer forward. This is the appropriate time to discuss and negotiate money.

About Paul Cook

Paul writes for Masters in Accounting, a career resource site providing information for earning masters in finance or accounting including career guides, top accounting blogs, and scholarship information.

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Barbara Boxer: 'If You're A Self-Respecting Human Being, Vote Obama'

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