Hot on the heels of our iPhone 3G giveaway, we’re launching a contest for another prize – a top-of-the-line 12-megapixel Pentax Optio A40 digital camera!

All entrants in the iPhone giveaway have automatically been entered, but you can’t win if you don’t trade. Don’t forget that every dollar you make at Media Predict increases your odds to win. For more information please see the official rules .

The winner will be announced September 5th. Keep an eye out for more great prizes to come in the future. As always, thanks for playing and happy trading!

We ran into some technical difficulties with our blog. But we’re back in action, and will have plenty of updates coming soon.

Thanks for your patience.

“Wall-E” rode stellar reviews to a $62.5 million opening weekend and the #1 spot at the box office. The surprise of the weekend was the success of “Wanted,” which exceeded expectations critically and commercially, taking in $51 million. “Get Smart” fell to No. 3, and “Kung Fu Panda,” (No. 4) continues to beat out “The Incredible Hulk,” (No. 5,) despite having been released a week earlier.

Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. (Yeah, we already knew that.) Lil Wayne dropped down to No. 2, while the “Camp Rock” soundtrack, featuring tween sensations the Jonas Brothers opened at No. 3. Probably the biggest surprise of the week was Rihanna’s 117-spot jump, from No. 124 to No. 7, due to the success of her single “Take A Bow.”

Finally, something kind of different on the New York Times fiction list. Janet Evanovich’s latest book in the Stephanie Plum series, “Fearless Fourteen,” is No. 1, with James Patterson’s “Sail” falling to No. 2. On the non-fiction list, David Sedaris still rules. Other than that, it’s the usual suspects: Zakaria (America is destined to fall!), McClellan,  and Barbara Walters, waxing rhapsodic on the “special men in [her] life.” Um, ew.

Despite mediocre reviews, “Get Smart” landed in the No. 1 spot in the box office this weekend, with $39 million. “Kung Fu Panda” hung on to No. 2, ($27 million,) and “The Incredible Hulk” crashed into No. 3 ($21 million,) with a 61% dropoff in revenue. Mike Meyers’s critically maligned “The Love Guru” debuted at No. 4 ($14 million,) and the similarly criticized  “The Happening,” (which has actually inspired a movement of anti-fans) came in at No. 5 with $10 million.

On the Billboard 200 chart, Lil Wayne debuted at No. 1, and Plies debuted at No. 2, making the only two debuts in the Top 5 this week. The group was rounded out by NOW Vol. 28, Disturbed and Usher. Disappointing debuts for N*E*R*D, Alanis Morisette, and My Morning Jacket, who came in at Nos. 6, 7, and 8, respectively.

“Sail” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan was the best-selling book on the NYT fiction list (”A sailing vacation turns into a disaster when someone attempts to destroy a family.” Running out of ideas, James?). In addition to disastrous sailing vacations, adultery (Jackie Collins, Emily Griffin), weird stuff (Dean Koontz, Stephanie Meyer), and spies and criminals (W.E.B. Griffin, Jeffery Deaver) are popular themes. As for the non-fiction list, David Sedaris is still at No. 1, as well as some political stuff, memoirs, and that damn Barbara Walters book.

“The Incredible Hulk” smashed away all memories of Ang Lee’s 2003 version and opened with a $54.5 million opening weekend (and even a few good reviews). “Kung Fu Panda” fell to No. 2, with $34 million. M. Night Shyamalan’s first R-rated film (a big selling point in the trailers) “The Happening,” opened at No. 3 with $30 million. “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” ($16 million) and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” ($13 million) round out the Top 5.

Four of the albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 are held by newcomers this week. Disturbed’s “Indestructible” opened at No. 1, as Usher’s “Here I Stand” fell from the top spot to No. 3. Weezer’s self-titled album makes a strong showing, as does Journey’s new “Revelation,” debuting in slots four and five, respectively.

As usual, books about weird secrets dominate the NY Times Hardcover Fiction list. Lee Child’s “Nothing to Lose,” about small-town secrets, takes the top spot, while Stephanie Meyer’s “The Host” hangs on to No. 2. Also included are books about mysterious illnesses and vampire hunters. Dean Koonz’s “Odd Horus” falls to number seven. David Sedaris takes the top spot on the non-fiction list with “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.” “Audition” by Barbara Walters falls to number four, and somewhere around there are the requisite political books. (Oh: Ron Paul.) And one of those polygamy books is still clinging on to the top ten as well.

Apple fans worldwide have been hearing speculation that their fearless leader is in for another bout with cancer. We recommend the L.A. Times’s piece detailing why the man is going to be just fine. (Or Apple’s own statement, for that matter.)

In other Apple-related news, as you may know, the new version of the iPhone will be available July 11, which means we’re extending our iPhone giveaway contest until then. Every dollar you earn increases your chances of winning, so trade like a madman for the next month and the next-gen iPhone could be yours!

Sarah Jessica Parker and her partners in crime should be able to afford plenty of “Sex and the City” themed drinks after a $55.7 million opening weekend. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” fell to second with $46 million (bringing its total to $216 million), followed by respectable debut for “The Strangers” ($20.7 million). “Iron Man” ($14 million) and “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” ($13 million) continue to show legs.

The curtain may have fallen on “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars,” but (of course) they’re still atop the most recent Nielsen ratings.

Newcomers to the charts hold the top three spots on the Billboard 200. 3 Doors Down’s self-titled album debuts at No. 1, followed by Bun-B’s “II Trill” and Julianne Hough’s “Julianne Hough.” Frank Sinatra’s “Nothing But The Best” falls two spots to No. 4 and Death Cab for Cutie slides from first to fifth.

Dean Koontz is back at No. 1 on the NYT fiction list with “Odd Hours.” Other noteworthy titles include “Snuff” from Chuck Palahniuk (No. 5) and “Bright Shiny Morning” by James Frey (No. 12). Barbara Walters’ “Audition” is No. 1 again on the non-fiction list. Political books and polygamy books are apparently all the rage: Fareed Zakaria, Ron Paul, Jim Webb, and Ted Sorensen are all in the top 10, as are two memoirs by former members of polygamous sects.

Scenario: If you can find time away from other work – and if you can afford the meager development costs – then you have time to pursue your creative vision, with hopes of wild riches and fortune.

Question: are we talking web startups or garage bands?

With each passing day, Web 2.0 looks less like a traditional industry, in which services or widgets (the old kind) are sold for profit. Rather, it resembles something vaguely like Hollywood. Keep it up, and you’ll see that this Rorschach Test keeps showing the same monster with a different name:

• This industry features vast numbers of candidate projects, produced at a grass-roots level and almost always initially financed by the creators themselves. Are we talking about indie films shot on video – or the latest Facebook App?
• This industry is characterized by fierce competition for recognition, in which middlemen select – from myriad prototypes – a small number of candidates for funding and promotion. Are we talking about A&R Reps and television producers – or angels and VCs?
• In this industry, ideas are easily stolen or imitated, so easily that often we see three or four similarly themed projects in the pipeline at once. Are we talking about this year’s smackdown between ‘Cashmere Mafia’ and ‘Lipstick Jungle’ – or Twitter and Pownce?

The conclusion: if you’re curious about the future of Web 2.0, you might want to ring up your out-of-work actor friends and get a crash course in Entertainment Industry 101. Once every college had its own slate of campus bands, chasing the dream. Soon each one will have a handful of web startups as well.

Some lessons we can learn from the comparison:

Read The Rest Of This Entry »

In case you spent the Memorial Day weekend completely shut off from the outside world, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” made $126 million at the box office from Friday to Monday. “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” limped to 2nd with $28.6 million, “Iron Man” was 3rd with $25.7 million, “What Happens in Vegas” 4th with $11.2 million and “Speed Racer” 5th with an anemic $5.2 million.

“American Idol” (you guessed it) obliterated the competition to take the top two spots in the Nielsen ratings. (Congratulations on spotting David Cook as the winner weeks and weeks ago.) In other news, “CSI” snuck ahead of the “Dancing With the Stars” results show for the No. 4 spot.

Death Cab for Cutie debuted in the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 with their critically-acclaimed new album “Narrow Stairs.” Frank Sinatra, Jason Mraz, and Duffy, all also with albums in their first week on the charts, were Nos. 2-4, followed by Leona Lewis and Mariah Carey.

James Frey made his first appearance on the NYT fiction list at No. 9 with his widely-praised “debut” novel, “Bright Shiny Morning.” Barbara Walters remained atop the NYT non-fiction list.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” raked $56.6 million in its opening weekend. It was enough to unseat “Iron Man” from its perch atop the box office mountain, although the comic-book film still brought in $31.2 million, bringing its 3-week total to an impressive $222 million. “What Happens in Vegas” made a strong $13.9 million in it second week out, and “Speed Racer” ($7.6 million) continued to disappoint.

In television, America is still fond of “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars,” both concluding this week. Nielsen ratings are here.

Neil Diamond sits atop the Billboard 200 and the UK charts for the first time, well, ever. Toby Keith’s “35 Biggest Hits” debuted at No. 2, followed by Madonna, Clay Aiken and Mariah Carey. Leona Lewis fell one spot to No. 6. The rest of the top 10 consisted of albums in their first week on the chart by, respectively, Gavin DeGraw, Josh Groban, Dierks Bentley, and Luis Miguel.

Barbara Walters’ relentlessness in hawking her new book, “Audition,” has paid off in the form of the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The only other new entrants on the non-fiction side are Carl Hiassen’s “The Downhill Lie” and “The Chris Farley Show,” a biography by the late comic’s brother. Stephanie Meyer and James Patterson are running 1-2 on the fiction list.