Zynga's revenues rose 32 percent to $321 million in the first quarter, beating analysts' estimates of $316.8 million in revenue and earnings of 5 cents a share excluding stock-based expenses. Bookings* came in at a record $329 million, up 15 percent over the year before, and up 7 percent compared to the previous quarter -- meaning Zynga didn't see that seasonal decline in revenues that Facebook did. The company said revenue growth was driven by the launch of games like Hidden Chronicles and Castleville and its increasing footprint on mobile platforms. Overall, Zynga posted a net loss of $85.4 million, mostly because of stock-based expenses. Excluding those expenses of $133.9 million, Zynga would have had earnings per share of 6 cents or $47 million. That would be down 38 percent from the year before. The company also raised its annual guidance to $1.425 billion to $1.5 billion in bookings, up from $1.35 to $1.45 billion. Shares are down 1 percent in after-hours trading to $9.33.
Divya Gugnani is the co-founder of Send the Trend, a New York based startup that was recently acquired by QVC, just a year-and-a half after launching in 2010. Gugnani, whose founding team includes Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, describes Send the Trend as "an online destination that offers curated and customized woman's fashion accessories and beauty." Items are priced at $29.95, and every month users have the option to purchase everything from earrings to bracelets specifically tailored to their taste.
Seventh-place finisher tells MTV News he hopes to model his career after Daughtry, who finished fourth place during season five By Christina Garibaldi
Colton Dixon Photo: MTV News
It's certainly not uncommon for an "American Idol" cast-off to go on and do amazing things. Jennifer Hudson, who ended up in seventh place on season three, went on to win an Oscar for her role in "Dreamgirls," season two runner-up Clay Aiken has sold 4.9 million albums and fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry had two consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard charts.
Hoping to add his name to that list is Colton Dixon. In a shocking elimination on last week's episode, the 20-year-old rocker was sent home after appearing for the first time in the bottom three, finishing out his "Idol" run in seventh place. But Dixon isn't too heartbroken over his elimination, as he's already thinking about the next step in his career: his debut album.
"I have multiple, multiple songs, it's gonna be hard choosing songs for a record, I'm going to be writing till my fingers bleed," Dixon told MTV News on Monday. "I hope I get to incorporate some of my older stuff in there too because then I can make it come full circle for me and this record would mean that much more. But just the different writers we're already talking about. I had dinner with Chris Daughtry and there's the option of writing with him, which would be amazing. And Jason Wade of Lifehouse called me up after I did his song and was interested in writing."
And it seemed that during Dixon's dinner with Daughtry they talked a lot more than just music. "He's such a great guy, genuine guy, we talked about whatever, Jesus, life, we talked about Batman for probably 30 minutes, we're both Batman nerds," Dixon revealed, "It's great to see established artists reaching out and trying to pull you up there."
Yet, besides swapping Batman stories, Daughtry has given Dixon some valuable advice on how to achieve success post-"American Idol."
"I'm definitely trying to get as much advice from Chris on the future as possible," Dixon said. "Just to help model my career after things that he has done, because he's done a phenomenal job of just going for it even after getting voted off fourth. I'm hoping I can make the most out of top seven." Would you want to hear a Colton Dixon and Chris Daughtry collaboration? Let us know in the comments.
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
We've got Brian and Terrence in the studio today, and we'll be beaming Tim in through the magic of Skype -- assuming, of course, that he hasn't been carried away by some Albany-based beehive. You can join us too, after the jump.
Ah, the Galaxy S III. We always knew it'd be a keystone among Android smartphones, but according to the AnTuTu benchmark suite, it'll be the one device to rule them all. While there's no way to verify whether this test is indeed legitimate, all Android users may currently peep the AnTuTu app, which not only shows the smartphone as having bested the mighty Transformer Prime tablet, but it also reveals the most comprehensive set of specs we've yet seen for the Galaxy S III -- again, take this with a grain of salt. The device is said to wield a Samsung Exynos 4212 SoC with a dual-core 1.4GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 4.7-inch, 720p HD display. This lines up similarly with the product listing from Amazon Germany, as the specs also reveal a 12 megapixel primary camera on the rear, along with a 2MP shooter on the front. No big surprises for the OS, which is listed as Android 4.0. Should the benchmark tests turn out to be legitimate, the HTC One X will no doubt have some very stiff competition.
Update: Samsung has revealed the 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad as the basis for its next superphone.
Motown Night on Dancing with the Stars may have provided Jaleel White and Kym Johnson's with their best week in the ballroom, but it left two other teams battling out to save their spot in the competition.
The music may have been Motown, but the contestants seemed like they were still caught up in the heat from Latin week, as several couples were pushed to their sensual limits on tonight's "Dancing With the Stars" (Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC).
William Levy and partner Cheryl Burke ended up getting horizontal on the dance floor, while Katherine Jenkins wowed the judges with her newfound saucy spunk. However, Disney star Roson Fegan's attempt at being sexy may have just cost him the competition.
Gladys Knight may be the Empress of Soul -- and a Motown legend -- but she failed to impress the judges with her slow-tempo rumba, leaving her once again on the bottom of the leaderboard.
However, tonight was also a night of incredible comebacks, as Jaleel White finally lived up to his Week 1 potential. Plus, Donald Driver finally scored a number from Len that he agreed with and Gavin DeGraw's hat made a surprise return appearance on Mark Ballas' head. Oh, hat, how we've missed you.
Adding to the Motown pressure, for the first time this season, the contestants had to participate in a dance marathon at the end of show, where the judges awarded each couple an additional 3 to 10 points -- with the most technical and creative couple earning 10 and the least, earning a 3 -- based on who could successfully dance for the longest amount of time.
It was a brutal four-minute Motown marathon, as it tested the stamina of the competitors. Perhaps least surprising, Gladys and Tristan were knocked out first. However, frontrunners Maria and Derek were quickly kicked off the dance floor after them. In the end, Katherine and Mark were the winners, and once again, we were all treated to Katherine's surprised face. That girl puts Taylor Swift to shame.
Now, let's break down the rest of the night:
William Levy & Cheryl Burke Dance: Rumba
William has a tough job, guys. He has to be sexy all of the time. It's not as easy as it looks. Well, for William, it actually is that easy.
William and Cheryl definitely brought the sex to the ballroom with their sensual rumba, in which they, too, ended up on the floor in a horizontal position. Their hands were just all over each other, and the women in the ballroom were loving it.
Bruno called it "absolute and utter filth" (but the good kind), while Carrie Ann thanked William "on behalf of all of the women out there." But for Len, it was a little on the raunchy side.
"It was good," he said, "But I can't go into ecstasy like some people here." Thankfully, Bruno responded with what we were all thinking: "He needs Viagra."
Judges' score: 27 + 9 = 36
Maria Menounous & Derek Hough Dance: Foxtrot
OK, Maria, I'm over your psycho dolphin laugh. I'm sorry, but I'm really not sorry. It's kind of annoying at this point. Thankfully, you're dancing is gorgeous.
Maria may have lost her footing -- and let her shoulders come up, according to Carrie Ann -- but it was an otherwise stellar foxtrot set to "Jimmy Mack" by Martha and the Vandellas. It was sophisticated, yet fun.
And the best part? They didn't need to rely on a kiss for shock value. Instead, Maria and Derek kept it classy. Hallelujah!
Judges' score: 26 + 4 = 30
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd Dance: Foxtrot
Fact: I'm scared of Donald. I'm sure he's a really great guy (when he's winning), but after seeing how he overreacted to his scores last week, I was slightly scared of the football player -- and frightened for Len's life. I know he's competitive, but that was too much. Remember Donald, you have a Super Bowl ring. Therefore, you're already winning at life.
Back on the dance floor, Donald and Peta danced a super fun foxtrot to "The Way You Do the Things You Do" by The Temptations. After giving Donad a less-than-satisfactory 8 last week, Len told the wide receiver that his foxtrot was absolutely "explosive," and for a minute, I thought Donald was going to do a touchdown dance.
Although, he still feels like Donald can do more, so he tells Peta to "work on him" because Len feels that Donald has what it takes to be a great dancer.
Judges' score: 27 + 7 = 34
Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower Dance: Rumba
The rumba is all about being sensual, but Roshon has a Disney image to uphold, so there wasn't really anything sexy about Roshon and Chelsie's dance. In fact, the sexiest part of the entire performance was Smokey Robinson singing "Cruisin'."
But that wasn't the super cute duo's only problem. In her pursuit to make Roshon more comfortable being sensual, Chelsie caused him to completely overdo it, and the entire routine felt a little more forced than usual. It was lacking the grace and easiness of their stunning Viennese waltz from two weeks ago.
Even though the crowd loved Roshon's rumba, the judges thought that the "Shake It Up!" star over exaggerated his movements. "The movement was clipped and jerky," said Len. "It was like pain-by-numbers."
However, the best part of the night came when Bruno shook his happy hips a little too vigorously -- much to Len's obvious dismay.
Judges' score: 23 + 5 = 28
Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy Dance: Viennese Waltz
Just when I thought Maks was going soft this season, it looks like the fiery dancer is finally back to normal -- and terrorizing Melissa in rehearsals. (Case in point: "Are your f--king legs together?!") Attaboy, Maks!
Since the beginning of the competition, I've wanted Melissa to go home. I just didn't feel like she was really trying. Where some contestants made up for their lack of technique with their big personalities, I just felt like Melissa was lacking on both fronts. However, I have to give Melissa credit tonight because the former TV star looked absolutely gorgeous on the dance floor during her Viennese Waltz.
Not only was she hitting all of her steps, but for the first week ever, she also wasn't being overshadowed by Maks. Her lines were clean, and her movements were smooth. "You work so hard, and it is finally paying off," Carrie Ann said, before telling Melissa to watch her shoulders.
Looks like Maks' tough love delivers results.
Judges' score: 24 + 6 = 30
Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas Dance: Samba
The odds are definitely in Katherine and Mark's favor. Once again, the two came out on top of the leaderboard.
Working her best Snooki poof, the gorgeous mezzo-soprano danced a high-energy, sultry samba to The Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You." Meanwhile, Katherine's partner Mark borrowed a hat from the Gavin DeGraw Collection. Maybe Gavin left it for him as a bittersweet memento?
Len was so impressed, he even made a funny, dubbing Jenkins "the midwife" of the competition because she successfully delivers week after week.
However, Katherine and Mark have yet to secure a 30, so the race to the first perfect score of the season is still on. Here that, Derek? You still have a chance.
Judges' score: 29 + 10 = 39
Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus Dance: Rumba
Thanks to Gladys, I know more about Motown now than I ever did before. For example, before The Temptations were The Temptations, they were The Primes. Also, The Pips used to wip their butts on the softball field. (Gladys was obviously the pitcher.)
She also brought her own secret weapon to rehearsals: Her brother Bubba, the original Pip. He definitely taught Tristan a few things about Motown, like how to snap-clap-move-and-grove properly.
On the dance floor, Gladys and Tristan got off to a slow start (really slow), but you know what? The Temptations were on stage singing "My Girl," so I was thoroughly entertained regardless. Not to mention that Tristan was wearing the cutest hipster glasses ever. However, I could have done without all of the Barney purple.
"Gladys, if I could judge purely with my heart, you would be at the top of my leaderboard," said Len. Of course, that statement was then followed by, "But you're not the best dancer." You better believe that Len's criticism was met with ballroom boos, so the top judge clarified. "You're the most charismatic dancer ... You're easy like Sunday morning."
For me, Gladys and Tristan were the only couple to really capture the soul of Motown. Of course, I'm sure the Empress of Soul had something to do with that.
Sure, Gladys may have forgotten some of her steps, but can I please just have at least one more week of Gladys and Tristan?! I swear, just give me one more week.
Judges score: 21 + 3 = 24
Jaleel White & Kym Johnson Dance: Cha cha cha
Now, that's what you call a comeback. After weeks of turning out less-than-stellar routines, I was starting to believe that Jaleel was never going to live up to the potential he showed in Week 1. That is, until tonight.
Jaleel's cha cha cha was so energetic that it even made Bruno quote Kelly Clarkson. Say it with me now: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Side note: Jaleel's mom is the cutest mom ever.
Judges' score: 29 + 8 = 37
"Dancing With the Stars" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Follow Crystal Bell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newyorkbell
Zynga's revenues rose 32 percent to $321 million in the first quarter, beating analysts' estimates of $316.8 million in revenue and earnings of 5 cents a share excluding stock-based expenses. Bookings* came in at a record $329 million, up 15 percent over the year before, and up 7 percent compared to the previous quarter -- meaning Zynga didn't see that seasonal decline in revenues that Facebook did. The company said revenue growth was driven by the launch of games like Hidden Chronicles and Castleville and its increasing footprint on mobile platforms. Overall, Zynga posted a net loss of $85.4 million, mostly because of stock-based expenses. Excluding those expenses of $133.9 million, Zynga would have had earnings per share of 6 cents or $47 million. That would be down 38 percent from the year before. The company also raised its annual guidance to $1.425 billion to $1.5 billion in bookings, up from $1.35 to $1.45 billion. Shares are down 1 percent in after-hours trading to $9.33.
