simon cowell

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Zynga and Hasbro announce board game versions of the most annoying Facebook ones.

- Will.i.am and Simon Cowell considering X-Factor style show, for tech.

- New Ninja Turtles cartoon replaces Cowabunga with....

Bathroom break video: Longboarder attacked by a deer.… Read more

For Simon Cowell, there is no such thing as enough.

This would put him within a comforting cohort that includes William the Conqueror, Madonna and, of course, Mark Zuckerberg.

How fitting, then, that the latest spawn of Cowell's brain is reportedly a reality show that will discover the next great tech entrepreneur.

On all things Cowell, the Sun tends to have an inside presence, so I am grateful to it for revealing this marvelous development.

His partner in this very serious caper is Will.i.am, who is a remarkably good clothing designer.

The Sun quoted i.am as … Read more

If you've watched any "American Idol" the last couple of years, you've probably noticed a heavy dose of record impresario Jimmy Iovine's Beats headphones on the show -- from the hat that he always wears to the omnipresence of the product itself. It's awful in many ways, but that's what corporate sponsorship is all about. And it seems to be working as plenty of teenagers keep asking their parents for overpriced $300 headphones for their birthdays.

Well, Simon Cowell and Sony want in on the celebrity headphone action and have released the $299 … Read more

"American Idol" it's not, so instead of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Mary J. Blige, or Neil Patrick Harris, The Audiophiliac is the sole judge for The Audiophillie Music Awards For Excellence In Recorded Sound contest.

I keep hearing that every kid with a guitar or a mic can make a great recording. Bands record their own tunes all the time. Well, here's a chance to get your music heard and a buzz going on the Audiophiliac. Oh, and six winners will each receive a set of Monster Turbine Pro Gold ($299) or Pro Copper ($… Read more

In our struggling economy, it's nice to know that our commander-in-chief is doing his part to provide jobs to our country. Well, at least one: Barack Obama is hiring a new Social Networks Manager! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to "maintain the Democratic Party and Organizing for America accounts on all social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace accounts, etc." Who wouldn't want to be Barack Obama's Internet ambassador? It's time to beef up that resume, write an outstanding cover letter, channel your inner Gabriel, and fill out this application...no word yet on compensation.

Touch-screen smartphones are fun to use, but what happens when users don't want to remove their gloves in the freezing winter to send a text message or a play a game? We've seen some asinine iPhone accessories, but the latest trend in South Korea is too hilarious to ignore.

Clever citizens discovered that a certain brand of sausage can be used as a stylus in lieu of a human finger. CJ Corporation, the business behind the "Maekseubong" sausages, reported a record breaking 39 percent revenue increase over the last year thanks to the discovery. Check out this video of a guy playing a Taiko drumming game using two of the Maxbong (tiny sausage) snacks.

Lots of sticker pictures and voice-mails today, including an official 404 Olympic Update and a crazy story about how The 404 helped a listener through an automobile accident. Glad you're safe, Jersey from Pete!

It's an odd tradition. Well, it is Britain, where they have a talent for clutching traditions like Posh Spice clutches many things with a D&G logo.

The particular tradition that fascinates at this time of year consists of really caring about which song is the best seller at Christmas.

Once upon a time, some of the greatest music ever composed was Britain's Christmas No. 1. Yes, Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody," Mud's "Lonely This Christmas," and the slightly less melodic "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" by Pink … Read more