Archive for November 2012

Nexus 4 goes back on sale at 12pm Pacific - Can the Play Store hold up this time?

Summary: Google's launch of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 tablets was a sales slam dunk but an unmitigated ecommerce disaster. Will round 2 go any better today?.

Update - 2:08pm EST
Last night, I received an email telling me that my long-awaited Nexus 4 would be shipping this week. This morning, my bank account was a few hundred dollars smaller (suggesting that the phone had shipped, although the promised confirmation email was nowhere to be found and my Google Wallet account still showed the phone as a pending transaction).  Another email told me that the Nexus 4 would be back on sale at noon Pacific today. So the question is, has Google learned anything from its Nexus launch debacle?.

So far, Google's lack of transparency with its customers or the media has hardly inspired much in the way of confidence. It seems likely that demand will still be pretty extraordinary for a well-reviewed, unlocked, $300 superphone. So will the Play Store be crushed again by demand? And will those backordered phones actually make it out the door? After all, despite the debit from my bank account overnight, I don't yet have a tracking number in hand. Frankly, given the experience so far with Google's Play Store, I'm not holding my breath.

I'll attempt to buy a phone at 3:00pm my time today and see if I have any more luck. I'll post live updates here; post your own experiences in the talk backs below. One would hope that a few thousand brilliant minds at Google have been working tirelessly to ensure a much smoother experience for their second round of Nexus 4 sales here in the States (sorry, international readers...I'm afraid you're still out of luck for now). Whether their presumed hard work pays off remains to be seen.

Thank you, Google, for making a liar out of me. Moments after I published the post above, I received that elusive shipping confirmation for my phone. I bet a lot of other folks did too.

Update - 3:30pm EST
I gave it every benefit of the doubt. I tried several times and at different periods over the last 30 minutes. And here's the shocker of the day: The Google Play Store isn't handling demand even for a phone that is supposedly shipping in 4-5 weeks!

Here's the teaser (what some companies might call a "pre-order"):


And here's the result:

Update - 4:10pm EST
When you do finally get a pre-ordered device in your cart, watch out for the double and triple orders that users experienced the last time around.

Awesome.

So the general consensus on Twitter and via the spate of emails I've received from frustrated would-be buyers is that Google learned absolutely nothing from their prior launch two weeks ago. Buyers are reporting the same haphazard status updates in the Play Store ("Shipping Soon", "Sold Out", "Add to cart", etc.) and the same unreliable buying process that they did on the 13th. Some folks have obviously been able to order a phone, but they're not the ones making noise on Twitter.

Wouldn't it have made more sense to wait an additional week before releasing new pre-order stock and really nail this, once and for all? The really miserable ecommerce experience getting repeated here is an absolute mystery to me.

Signing off in disillusionment for now.

Source : http://www.zdnet.com/nexus-4-goes-back-on-sale-at-12pm-pacific-can-the-play-store-hold-up-this-time-7000007986/

Cyber Monday Deals 2012 likely to fuel busiest online sales day



November 26, 2012 ( NEW YORK) -- Bye-bye Black Friday. So long Small Business Saturday. Now, it's Cyber Monday's turn.

Cyber Monday, coined in 2005 by a shopping trade group that noticed online sales spiked on the Monday following Thanksgiving, is the next in a series of days that stores are counting on to jumpstart the holiday shopping season.

It's estimated that this year's Cyber Monday will be the biggest online shopping day of the year for the third year in a row: According to research firm comScore, Americans are expected to spend $1.5 billion, up 20 percent from last year on Cyber Monday, as retailers have ramped up their deals to get shoppers to click on their websites.

Amazon.com, which is starting its Cyber Monday deals at midnight on Monday, is offering as much as 60 percent off a Panasonic VIERA 55-inch TV that's usually priced higher than $1,000. Sears is offering $430 off a Maytag washer and dryer, each on sale for $399. And Kmart is offering 75 percent off all of its diamond earrings and $60 off a 12-in-1 multigame table on sale for $89.99.

Retailers are hoping the deals will appeal to shoppers like Matt Sexton, 39, who for the first time plans to complete all of his holiday shopping online this year on his iPad tablet computer. Sexton, who plans to spend up to $4,000 this season, already shopped online on the day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday and found a laptop from Best Buy for $399, a $200 savings, among other deals.

"The descriptions and reviews are so much better online so you can compare and price shop and for the most part get free shipping," said Sexton, who lives in Queens, N.Y., and is a manager at a utility company.

Sexton also said that it's easier to return an online purchase to a physical store than it had been in previous years. "That helps with gifts," he said.

How well retailers fare on Cyber Monday will offer insight into Americans' evolving shopping habits during the holiday shopping season, a time when stores can make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue. With the growth in high speed Internet access and the wide use of smartphones and tablets, people are relying less on their work computers to shop than they did when Shop.org, the digital division of trade group The National Retail Federation, introduced the term "Cyber Monday."

"People years ago didn't have ... connectivity to shop online at their homes. So when they went back to work after Thanksgiving they'd shop on the Monday after," said Vicki Cantrell, executive director of Shop.org. "Now they don't need the work computer to be able to do that."

As a result, the period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday has become busy for online shopping as well. Indeed, online sales on Thanksgiving Day, traditionally not a popular day for online shopping, rose 32 percent over last year to $633 million, according to comScore. And online sales on Black Friday were up 26 percent from the same day last year, to $1.042 billion. It was the first time online sales on Black Friday surpassed $1 billion.

For the holiday season-to-date, comScore found that $13.7 billion has been spent online, marking a 16 percent increase over last year. The research firm predicts that online sales will surpass 10 percent of total retail spending this holiday season. The National Retail Federation estimates that overall retail sales in November and December will be up 4.1 percent this year to $586.1 billion

But as other days become popular for online shopping, Cyber Monday may lose some of its cache. To be sure, Cyber Monday hasn't always been the biggest online shopping day. In fact, up until three years ago, that title was historically earned by the last day shoppers could order items with standard shipping rates and get them delivered before Christmas. That day changes every year, but usually falls in late December.

Even though Cyber Monday is expected to be the biggest shopping day this year, industry watchers say it could just be a matter of time before other days take that ranking.

"Of all the benchmark spending days, Thanksgiving is growing at the fastest rate, up 128 percent over the last five years," said Andrew Lipsman, a spokesman with comScore.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source : http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/national_world&id=8898043

Lindsay Lohan on Playing Elizabeth Taylor: "Everything I've Gone Through Made Me Ready" for This

Exclusive: Lindsay Lohan on Playing Elizabeth Taylor: "Everything I've Gone Through Made Me Ready" for This.
Lindsay Lohan as Elzabeth Taylor in Lifetime Television's "Liz and Dick."
Credit: Lifetime
Lindsay Lohan is ready for her close-up.

Tonight, Nov. 25, the 26-year-old actress makes her debut as screen legend Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime original movie Liz & Dick, about Taylor's volatile relationship with Richard Burton (played by Grant Bowler), whom she married and divorced twice.

The small-screen biopic is one of the most anticipated television events of the year -- largely because of Lohan, who is hoping to make her long-delayed comeback after years of personal drama and legal troubles. (The star has endured a seemingly endless string of public humiliations over the last decade -- among them, five stints in rehab, six arrests, and more than 20,000 minutes behind bars.)

"Everything I've gone through made me ready to play Liz," the star told Us Weekly reporter Jennifer Peros during a recent sit-down interview in Los Angeles, adding that her trials and tribulations have made her both a better person and a better actress.

Lohan's critics may beg to differ with that statement, but she insists she's grown up and learned her lessons. She even goes so far as to say that she displays more professionalism than the film icon she's portraying.

"Elizabeth was drunk on sets. I've never been drunk on set, ever," the Liz & Dick actress told Us. "I did my time and I respect the law."

Lohan does relate to the violet-eyed siren in other ways, though. Like Taylor, she's a former child star who became a tabloid favorite -- and not always for good reasons.

"Since I was a kid, I've loved being on camera. Don't misconstrue that: I didn't strive to have flashbulbs at dinner or people who don't know me calling TMZ. And 99 percent of the time, it's not true," she explained. "I feel bullied. I can't think of any actor who has been subjected to such extreme publicity who hasn't, like, committed suicide."

That said, Lohan knows she brought some of the attention on herself. And she's working now to change her image, with a little help from Taylor.

"She probably would have said, 'Figure it the hell out,'" Lohan told Peros of how the Cleopatra star might have advised her. "You have to learn it for yourself sometimes."

Source : http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/lindsay-lohan-everything-ive-gone-through-made-me-ready-to-play-elizabeth-taylor-20122511

President Obama promotes 'Small Business Saturday' by going Christmas shopping at local Washington D.C. bookstore

Promoting "Small Business Saturday," the third annual event that encourages consumers to support independently-owned local shops, Obama took his daughters to "One More Page Books" in Arlington, Virginia.
President Barack Obama, with daughters Sasha, left, and Malia, right,
goes shopping at a small bookstore, One More Page, in Arlington, Va., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012.
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, in a bid to show support for small businesses, took his daughters on an early Christmas shopping trip on Saturday as the U.S. retail sector swings into high gear this holiday season.

Promoting "Small Business Saturday," the third annual event that encourages consumers to support independently-owned local shops, Obama took his daughters Sasha and Malia to "One More Page Books" in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.

"Preparation," said Obama, while talking to the store owner at the front counter and looking at his BlackBerry, apparently checking book titles while his daughters stood at his side. "That's how I shop."

Over the last two decades, small businesses have created two of every three U.S. jobs. To try to spur job growth, the Obama administration says it aims to cut taxes for small businesses and expand entrepreneurs' access to financing.

President Barack Obama, with daughter Malia, right,
goes shopping at a small bookstore, One More Page, in Arlington, Va., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012.
Both Main Street merchants and larger retailers will find out soon if the so-called fiscal cliff that threatens to produce tax increases and automatic spending cuts in January will subdue shoppers and hold back spending this holiday season.

Congress and Obama are about to negotiate on a deal to avert the roughly $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts set to start jolting the economy at the beginning of 2013.

Asked by reporters what is needed to cushion the economic impact of the looming fiscal cliff, Obama declined to answer, saying "we're doing Christmas shopping."

The White House said Obama bought 15 children's books that will be given as Christmas gifts to family members.

Last year, more than 100 million Americans shopped locally on Small Business Saturday, according to an estimate by American Express.

Small businesses taking part in the initiative use social networks like Facebook and Twitter to promote deals and attract potential customers.

President Barack Obama shakes hands outside a small bookstore in Arlington,
Va., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, where he went shopping with his daughters.
Taking to Twitter himself after the shopping excursion, Obama wrote: "My family & I started our holiday shopping at a local bookstore on #SmallBizSat. I hope you'll join & shop small this holiday season."

The nationwide initiative that urges customers to open their wallets to local businesses follows Black Friday, one the nation's busiest shopping days at major retailers falling the day after Thanksgiving.

The Monday after Thanksgiving is known as Cyber Monday, where deals are found on the Internet and is more often a hit with shoppers unwilling to brave long lines.

Source : http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/obama-shops-local-bookstore-promote-small-business-saturday-article-1.1207468

Rihanna's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show costumes made in two hours


On Nov. 23, International Business Times reported that Rihanna's sexy costumes were created two hours before the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. At the Nov. 6 show, Rihanna wore a pink lace robe with a matching bra and panties. She changed into a black corset dress with a high slit and knee-high stockings for her last performance.


Adam Selman, fashion designer for Vogue UK, created both of Rihanna's costumes for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. He explained how he created the costumes in just two hours:


Adam Selman, fashion designer for Vogue UK, created both of Rihanna's costumes for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. He explained how he created the costumes in just two hours:

"I'd been working on something for a while, but it didn't look right when she tried it on two-and-a-half hours before the show," Selman said. "So I ran, literally ran, back to my office from the venue. I had my assistants on the phone telling them to run out and buy fabric -- it was a bit of a challenge, but we did it."

"I got to her minutes before everything kicked off, she whipped it on and threw a jumper round her waist and stepped out. She has the confidence to do that -- she killed it."

Rihanna performed the song "Fresh Off the Runway" and "Diamonds," both of which are off her seventh studio album, "Unapologetic." It was her first debut performance for both songs.

The Barbadian pop star is known for her sexy and funky style. Her recent stylist described her look for the 777 World Tour as "fearless."


Selman also complimented Rihanna's looks at the fashion show:

"The atmosphere was amazing -- everyone was so excited that she was there," Selman said. "She just looked incredible."

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is set to premiere on CBS on Dec. 4. It will air at 10 p.m. on channel 4 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Source : http://www.examiner.com/article/rihanna-s-victoria-s-secret-fashion-show-costumes-made-two-hours

GameStop ‘Black Friday’ online sale live, complete list of products on sale


Black Friday may not be here yet, but on Thursday morning GameStop’s ‘Black Friday’ sale officially began.

So save yourself a trip to the local store and do some shopping online and purchase a new PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, or PlayStation Vita from the comfort of your home with ease from GameStop.com.

Offering a number of excellent hardware deals like an Xbox 360 Kinect Star Wars bundle for $349.99 or Limited Edition Nintendo 3DS bundled with “Super Mario 3D Land” and free a copy of “Nintendogs + Cats”, GameStop has many options to explore.

In terms of software there is a lot to select from with games like “Assassin’s Creed III” for $49.99 or “Max Payne 3” for $19.99.

Also, a number of newly released Nintendo Wii U software has received a discount. These titles include, “Scribblenauts Unlimited” and “Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition” for $49.99.

Find the full list below or on GameStop.com right here.

GameStop Black Friday Sale:

Hardware Deals
Pre-owned Deals
  • Buy 2 Get 1 Free on all Pre-owned accessories and games
  • $39.99 Pre-Owned Kinect Sensor with Free Kinect Adventures Game
  • $79.99 Pre-Owned DSi XL
Game Deals

PS3/Xbox360/Wii
  • Skylanders Giant Starter Kit - $54.99
  • Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 w/Gun - $39.99 (Wii only)
  • Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 w/Gun - $59.99 (360, PS3)
  • Buy Just Dance 4, get Just Dance 3 free

PS3/360
  • Angry Birds Trilogy - $24.99
  • Dishonored - $29.99
  • Dead or Alive 5 - $29.99
  • Assassin Creed III - $49.99
  • Batman Arkhamy City GOTY - $19.99
  • DOOM BFG - $19.99
  • Fallout New Vegas GOTY - $19.99
  • Max Payne 3 - $19.99
  • Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 - $19.99
  • Dragon's Dogma - $39.99
  • Rocksmith Guitar plus Bass - $49.99
  • Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition - $19.99
  • Ghost Recon Future Solider - $24.99
  • Elder Scrolls Skyrim - $29.99
  • Borderlands 2 - $39.99
  • FIFA 13 - $39.99
  • Madden 13 - $39.99
  • NHL 13 - $39.99
  • NCAA Football - $39.99
  • Sleeping Dogs - $29.99
  • Call of Duty MW3 - $34.99
  • Call of Duty Black Ops - $24.99
  • Dead Space 2 - $14.99
  • Crysis 2 - $14.99
  • Midnight Club LA Complete Edition - $9.99

PS3
  • Sports Champion 2 - $19.99
  • Book of Spells Game Only - $19.99

3DS
  • Angry Birds Trilogy - $24.99
  • Kingdom Hearts DDD - $19.99
  • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy - $19.99
  • Heroes of Ruin - $19.99
  • (DS) Cooking Mama Dual Packs- $19.99

Wii U
  • Batman Arkham City Armored Edition - $49.99
  • FIFA Soccer 13 - $49.99
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited - $49.99
  • Game Party - $29.99

PC
  • World of Warcraft Battlechest - $4.99
  • Diablo III - $29.99
  • Starcraft II - $29.99
  • World of Warcraft Cataclysm - $9.99
  • Select Sims 3 Expansions $19.99

Trade-in Deals
  • Double Trade Credit for Game System Trades
  • 25% Extra Credit when you trade 2 or more games
  • 25% off All Pre-Owned Electronics (iDevices etc.)
  • 25% extra credit when you trade in your pre-owned electronics (iDevices etc.)

PlanetSide 2 Review in Progress

The first few explosive (and crashy) hours.

Day 1: The First Few Hours

There's nothing quite like the first few hours of a big multiplayer game. These moments will never happen again. The tech, the server, and the player are under a unique stress. I'm not going to judge PlanetSide 2 on its first few moments of officially being "live," because you should never judge something as large and as complicated as this from that initial burst, but being here is an interesting experience, and it's worth talking about. 

If you value brute force above all else, by all means join the New Conglomerate. I will enjoy killing you. 
PlanetSide 2's a game about territorial control. Three factions -- each with hundreds of players -- are battling for the right to rule three continents. I slipped into the sleek purple space-Lycra of Vanu. They're the science team, with slow, weakish weapons that are none the less deadly accurate. If you value brute force above all else, by all means join the New Conglomerate. I will enjoy killing you. Or, if you're undecided, then the Terran Republic is for you. It's a middle-of-the-road faction full of uncertain people, and you'll fit right in. There are relatively few options to pick other than that: server, character name, face.

Into The Thick Of It

The other choices are already made for me. I'm placed in a squad from the moment I enter the battle, I'm assigned as Light Assault class, and I'm tossed right into the middle of a huge battle. It's overwhelming, but I can kind of see SOE's point: this is a shooter, so everyone knows the thing in front of them makes the bad people run and hop and die. You can figure out the rest when you respawn. But if you need help, watch and learn.


This is a world without quest givers. Instead, gameplay driven by the growth of each faction. That growth over the map is something I'll get to in more detail in a later article, but a few notes to set the scene: each side fights for a hexagonal chunks of land. The chunks spread out from each faction's jumpgate, which is the only place where you're relatively safe from attack. Throughout the world are facilities of all sizes that you can capture, and when the fronts meet on those facilities it brings at least two opposing forces together.

Moving in Force

And that's just what I dropped into. I burned in from orbit into the chilly Esamir continent and landed on a slip of land. Everything is exploding and nothing is clear. There are Magriders, which are Vanu hovertanks, sliding along the ice, plus at least four Scythe fighters cutting the air above, all followed by a trail of dozens of players, all blasting and ducking, or flying on jetpacks. It felt like a vast military maneuver. They were working towards a small group of buildings. I check the icons over the buildings: we were supposed to be defending them. That's all the structure I needed: get to the little group of nondescript buildings and keep them under the Vanu's control. With guns.

Things were falling out of the sky every 20 seconds.
It felt like the entire continent of players was squeezed into this small space. I couldn't see what people were shooting, but fired a few bullets in the same direction to feel part of it. It was chaos. Just a little too crowded to make sense of the action. Things were falling out of the sky every 20 seconds, I was being stung from bullets and I couldn't gauge where from. I nearly made it to cover, but was killed by a sniper.

Against The Wall

Time to take stock. The map showed the Vanu were pretty much gone on this continent. We were crammed into this little area around the Man Bio Lab, the little cluster of buildings. They were all that was left. This isn't good for a number of reasons. It means we wouldn't get any XP boosts from territorial control. Resources, the real reason for the fighting, would be reduced. We could claw back, but from this position we'd be better off regrouping on another continent. But that's a decision for another day. Right then there was only one clear course -- I chose to fight.

I stayed as a Light Assault, as I had plans for the jetpack.
At least I could spawn inside the buildings. I stayed as a Light Assault, as I had plans for the jetpack: the best thing about jetpacks is using them to fly to awkward places. Buildings often have little ledges you can hop to. If someone is shot from above, they'll instinctively look to the highest point, missing the lower edge.

Death From Above

As it happened, we were being pressed into the building by the New Conglomerate, but only from one direction. I slipped out the back, listening to the rumble of the fight. This is something people have to learn about PlanetSide 2: there is always another way around. I floated up to the top of the largest building and dropped down onto the lip on the other side. The fighting is fairly contained in a corridor between buildings, and I could see the NC and one end and Vanu at the other. A grenade I dropped thinned out the NC briefly, but there were so many that it's like putting a thumb over a Coke bottle filled with Mentos. The space was almost immediately filled, and not by newbs either -- these guys were likely hardened in the beta. I blasted down and was stung by return fire. I laughed it off and jetpacked my way up and backwards, over the top of the building aiming for safety. That's when I was caught in a bombing run by a Reaver, the NC's air-bastard. There's not a lot you can do when ordinance burns everything within a 10m radius around you. You just die.

Things will settle soon and it'll be an easier ride. 
Then the server crashed.

Constant war, cut down by shaky tech. Though it was impressive while it lasted. Since then I've had one more attempt to login stymied by an extended server downtime, and another similar battle where the press of people again overrode any of PlanetSide 2's subtleties. Things will settle soon and it'll be an easier ride, and I'll be able to get to grips with the vehicles, the speed and worth of unlocks, the metagame, and more. My initial take, augmented by a lot of beta play, is hugely positive. The weapons are lovely, the scale makes Battlefield 3 look puny, and in the quieter moments it's a world that's strikingly beautiful. Until then I can handle a few spectacularly over-the-top battles that will mean very little in the grand scheme of things.

Source : http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/planetside-2/1226727p1.html

Black Friday: 5 Apps to Maximize Deals, Stay Organized During the Shopping Rush

Nearly one in four Americans -- 86 million total -- hit the stores on Black Friday after Thanksgiving last year, according to the National Retail Federation. The shopping stampede doesn't have to be stressful, thanks to some handy apps that are here to help on one of the most buzzed-about shopping days of the year.


Black Friday Survival Guide

Organization and timing are essential to success on Black Friday. The Black Friday Survival Guide gives users a quick way to browse ads in real-time and create shopping lists, so they're ready to battle through the sea of shopping carts on the big day. The free app is available for iPhones, iPads and Android devices.


Red Laser

The Red Laser app allows shoppers to scan a barcode and instantly compare prices for that item at nearby stores and online, ensuring they get the most bang for their buck. "Cannot imagine entering any store without having this app handy!" said one user, who gave the app a five-star rating. Red Laser is free and available for iPhone, Android and Windows devices.


Snip Snap

Never forget a coupon again with this free app that allows users to snap photos of their coupons, which are then digitally converted and ready to be redeemed in stores. The app kkeeps tabs on your coupons, so you don't have to. Whenever a user enters a store where they have a coupon saved or have coupons near their expiration date, Snip Snap will send a push alert as a reminder. Best of all, users can share coupons they've snapped with friends via Facebook, email and Twitter, passing on the savings. Snip Snap is available for the iPhone.


Decide

The familiar sting of buying something and seeing it on sale the next week can be minimized with Decide, an app with price-predicting powers for appliances and electronics, that advises consumers either to buy now or wait on each particular product.

"We use our patent-pending machine learning and text mining algorithms on billions of price points across millions of products, blog posts, and articles on the Web to enable shoppers to make the best buying decision possible," the developers wrote on Decide.com, another place where the price advice can be accessed. The app is available for the iPhone.


Cardstar

All of those rewards cards may add up to big savings, but they can easily take up too much space in wallets and on key fobs. Enter Cardstar, an app that allows users to lighten their wallets. Snap a picture of your card and import in a matter of minutes. When checking out in those busy Black Friday lines, simply have the cashier scan the barcode on an iPhone or Android device.

Source : http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/black-friday-smartphone-apps-christmas-shopping-best-deals/story?id=17762929

Best and worst celebrity beach bodies (okay mostly best)

Cox Fortysomething Fox
The Cougar Town star showed off her bikini body on Sunday while enjoying a Corona in Miami.

How does our favorite Friend stay in great shape? She told New Beauty magazine that she follows a light diet plan. She skips breakfast and has a coffee instead, chicken salad for lunch and meat and vegetables for dinner.

Yep that'll do it.

Click for some of Hollywood's hottest bodies, and some of the nottest.

Best: Katy Perry
The singer often shows off her figure in form-fitting dresses, so it's no surprise that she looks this good in a two-piece while on vacation in Miami.

Best: Jim Carrey 
Jim looks shockingly good considering he's over 50!

Demi and Rumer: Good
Demi Moore and daughter Rumer Willis have the kind of beach bodies Hollywood is known for.

Victoria Silvstedt: Best
The former Playpoy Playmate laughs at both Father Time, and Father Gravity while on vacation on Miami Beach.

Ali Landry: Best
The former Doritos girl sure doesn't look like she eats a lot of 'em.

Best: Doutzen Kroes
The Victoria's Secret stunner was snapped shooting a new campaign for the brand's bikini line.

Best: Doutzen Kroes
Here's another one from the same shoot.

Best: Olivia Wilde
Screen beauty Olivia Wilde looks great in movies, but she looks even better in a bikini on the beach!

Worst: Jon Favreau
Jon looked like he had a blast at the beach with his family, but that t-shirt certainly isn't doing him any favors.

Best: Brandi Glanville
The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star landed on Celebuzz.com's list of their 101 Hottest Bodies.

Glanville, who famously called LeAnn Rimes out for having an affair with her then-husband Eddie Cibrian, offered advice for beachgoers saying "the smaller the bikini, the better you look."

Best: Shauna Sand
The former Playboy Playmate still looks great sans clothes. Sure her doctor has something to do with it, but no matter.

Worst: Lindsay Lohan
LiLo has a good bod, but bad hat.

Best: Elin Nordgeren
The model wears a blue bikini while vacationing in the Bahamas.

Best: Whitney Port
Her body is beach ready, but her taste in bikinis is lacking, troubling as she is a "fashion designer." At least on TV.

Best: Brooke Burke 
The TV host makes playing on the beach with your family look sexy.

Best: Maria Menounous
The sexy tv host obviously has enough free time to sneak in some beach time, and some workout time too!

Worst: Val Kilmer
Finally a worst! Is that a park ranger, or former guy who played Jim Morrison?

Best: Shemar Moore
The actor shows off his ridiculously defined abs on the beach!

Ashley Tisdale: Best
The young actress celebrated her birthday with boyfriend Scott Speer, sharing a kiss and playing in the ocean at her Malibu Birthday party.

Ramona Singer: Worst
The "Real Housewives of New York" star should have done a few extra crunches before donning her itsy bitsy bikini. (They do make something called a "one piece.")

Kelly Brook: Best
Kelly Brook and Cannes: a good combination.

Ivana Trump: Worst
After a certain age, one should opt for bathing suits with more fabric.

Michelle Rodriguez: Best
The former "Lost" star looks hot in a nude-colored bikini.

Candice Swanepoel: Best
The model looks like she's posing for a magazine cover.

Russell Simmons: Worst
Is this Russ' way of going incognito on the beach?

Kim Kardashian: Best
Everyone always talks about Kim's backside, but the front ain't so bad either.

Julianne Hough: Best
The actress sure does have a dancer's body.

Katie Homes: Best
Suri may have forgotten her bathing suit, but luckily Katie had hers.

David Hasselhoff: Worst
Eek. Those late night cheeseburgers are beginning to show.

Lindsay Lohan: Best
LiLo looks like she's on the verge of a wardrobe malfunction - and nobody is complaining.

Courtney Cox: Best
It's hard to believe that the former "Friends" star is almost 50!

Holly Madison: Best
It's no secret why she caught Hugh Hefner's eye.

Coco: Best
Ice-T is one lucky man.

Jordana Brewster: Best
The actress makes some great eye candy on the beach.

Cameron Diaz: Best
The sports-loving actress shows that a bit of sweat does the body good.

Nicole Richie: Best
Moms everywhere wish they could bounce back this quickly after two kids.

Eva Longoria: Best
Now we know how the petite actress has such perfectly bronzed skin.

Mario Lopez: Best
AC Slater's body seems to be getting better with age.

Britney Spears: Best
Britney needn't wear a bikini to flaunt her flawless physique. On stage she leaves even less to the imagination.

Kirsten Dunst: Best
The actress  isn't one to spend much time in the sun, but with a body like that, she really should.

Janice Dickinson: Worst
There comes a certain point where women should give up their two-piece bathing suits. For Janice, that point was ten years ago.

Deena Cortese: Worst
The "Jersey Shore" gal should consider trading in all those fruity cocktails for some Muscle Milk.

Serena Williams: Best
The tennis star looks hot in a bikini that looks like lingerie.

Kathy Griffin: Worst
Kathy should not leave the house without clothes on. Period.

Kristen Bell: Best
The "Hit and Run" star is a perfect example of how being a vegetarian does wonders for your body.

Cheryl Burke: Best
The dancer brings her love of fringe to the beach.

Keira Knightly: Best
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star looks red hot in her string bikini.