Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince Trailer

Though I'm still surprised we didn't see the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince before The Dark Knight, we've luckily only had a short wait. The trailer is here! And while the title bears the name of the ostensible lead character, it's all about Tom Riddle in the sixth movie of the series. The filmmakers seem to have found a structure within J.K. Rowling's book by focusing on Dumbledore and Harry's efforts to explore Riddle/Voldemort's past. We see a lot of the 10-year-old Riddle, whom Dumbledore visits in the orphanage, and a few glimpses of what's to come-- including a second or two of the ghostly white, scary-as-all-get-out Voldemort as played by Ralph Fiennes.

Of course, this is just a teaser, so who knows how much of it will apply to the actual movie. But who cares! It's the new Harry Potter, and it promises to be even darker than the ones that have come before it. Even though we now know how the series ends in the books, it's no less exciting to see it all play out on the screen. See the trailer below, along with four new images from the film just sent over to us by WB.

Playstation 3 2.42 Firmware Update Available Now

Sony's put out a ninja firmware update, 2.42. It took eons to download, and it seems to be a meaty update. We can't yet decipher what exactly it does (wasn't the XMB's "Turn-Off System" button there since 2.40), so we imagine it's loads of back-end stuff.

At the moment there have been no press releases or updates on the Playstation website to tell us what the update entails, so for now we have no idea what the update adds, updates or fixes.

The update server is very congested at the moment and it is almost impossible to download the new software, we will keep you up to date with details on the update as we find them.

UPDATE:

From Playstation Blog: "Just wanted to give everyone a quick heads up that a PS3 firmware update (v2.42) is now available for download. This update improves the playback quality of some PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation format software."

Also it looks like the trophies have been optimized and are loading alot quicker too.

Join this forum to ask whatever about this update.

Sabina Johansson was charged with promoting prostitution at Big Daddy Lou's

Cops have busted a stunning 23-year-old Swedish model for allegedly working as the "house mom" at a high-end midtown brothel they say was run by a prominent lawyer.

Sabina Johansson of West New York, N.J., was charged with promoting prostitution at Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club, according to court records.

Johansson, who has appeared in an Avril Lavigne music video and on "The Tyra Banks Show," was arrested Thursday in the ongoing investigation of the W. 38 St. club owned by lawyer Lou (Daddy) Posner.

While Johansson has publicly denied knowing about the sex-for-sale activities going on in the private rooms of the club, cops allege she was wise to the tricks.

NYPD vice unit officers posing as patrons claim Johansson greeted them at the club in April and told them they could expect more than lap dances from the strippers if the price was right. "Defendant told [the undercover officer] that she was aware prostitution activity was going on at the club in its private rooms," court records contend.

One undercover officer claimed prostitution was blatant at the club. "On each occasion, he received offers from scantily clad female lap dancers working at the club to engage in sexual conduct, including intercourse, in exchange for money in the private rooms of the club," court records say.

Johansson, a brown-haired beauty who proudly boasts of her 34-24-34 frame on her modeling Web site, worked at Big Daddy Lou's from January 2007 until she quit just days before cops raided the club July 17.

As the house mom, Johansson allegedly collected nightly fees of up to $80 from the club's 120 dancers, scheduled shifts and rented out the private rooms and suites, prosecutors claim.

Johansson could not be reached Monday for comment and did not respond to an e-mail from the Daily News.

She was defended by her new boyfriend, Richard (Richie) Randazzo, a 44-year-old Park Ave. doorman who in June won $5 million in the "Set for Life" lottery. "She's fine, she's safe and that's all that matters," Randazzo told The News. "I believe she's a good girl, and her name is going to be cleared and everything is going to work out."

Randazzo of Gravesend, Brooklyn, insisted he didn't know of Johansson's employment at Big Lou's before he began dating her about three weeks ago. Despite her troubles, he claims meeting her is the best thing to happen to him since winning the lottery.

Johansson was charged with a third-degree felony and released on her own recognizance. So far, 22 people, including four dancers, have been pinched in the probe.

Posner and his wife, Betty, have been charged with promoting prostitution and money laundering. Prosecutors said Posner's club brought in at least $1 million in the past year. Two dancers told The News last week that Posner merely paid lip service to the "No Sex" signs posted around the club and that he would pressure employees for sex.

But Posner claimed he fined the dancers if he caught them having sex with customers. Posner denied any wrongdoing in an interview with The News, blasting prosecutors and cops for "making a mountain out of a molehill."

"I'm just flabbergasted," Posner said. "The Hot Lap Dance Club is one of the cleanest clubs around."

A grand jury is hearing evidence in the case and could indict Posner and others as early as next week.

NASA Established to Explore Space

On this day in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created by an act of Congress. NASA was formed to learn about and explore outer space. Since its creation, NASA has sent astronauts to the moon and satellites to the farthest planets of our solar system. NASA has also sent robotic rovers to Mars and over a hundred Shuttle missions into orbit around the Earth. NASA is currently working with other countries to build a space station.

This Day In History

1958 NASA Established. The United States Congress passes legislation formally inaugurating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The establishment of NASA was a sign that the United States was committed to winning the "space race" against the Soviets. In October 1957, the Soviet Union shocked the world, and particularly the American public, by launching the first satellite into orbit around the earth. Called Sputnik, the small spacecraft was an embarrassment to the United States, which prided itself on its leadership in the field of technology.

Sputnik also provided the Soviets with an important propaganda advantage in terms of reaching out to underdeveloped Third World nations that were looking for scientific and technological assistance. The initial U.S. response to this challenge was not altogether successful. The Eisenhower administration passed the National Defense Education Act that provided federal funds for improving the teaching of science and mathematics in America's public schools. In December 1957, the United States attempted to launch its own satellite. Named Vanguard, the "spaceship" got a few feet off the ground and then blew up. America had better luck with Explorer I a month later--the satellite completed its orbit of the earth. It was obvious to many U.S. officials, though, that a more organized and focused effort was needed.

In July 1958, Congress passed legislation establishing NASA as the coordinating body of the U.S. space program. During the next decade, NASA became synonymous with the space race. In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States should set a goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Eight years and billions of dollars later, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module Eagle and onto the moon's surface on July 20, 1969. The great space race was over.