You may remember "The Rich Kids of Instagram," a Tumblr started last year that documented the escapades of obnoxiously rich teens and young adults who posted snapshots to the photo-sharing service. 

Now, some of those "kids" are getting their own TV show on E!.

And now thanks to The New York Post's Page Six, we finally know who the mega-wealthy 20-somethings will be: E.J. Johnson, Dorothy Wang, Morgan Stewart, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Roxy Sowlaty, and Jonny Drubel.

Since we couldn't wait for the 2014 premiere date, we dug into their Instagram accounts. Here's a sneak peek of what to expect.

Dorothy Wang, 25, is a self-described “funemployed” daughter of Beverly Hills business mogul Roger Wang, the billionaire CEO of Golden Eagle International Group.

She likes to shop.

And has awesome clothes.

She only flies private.

And loves to party.

(Follow Dorothy here)

This is interior designer Roxy Sowlaty. She loves "anything that sparkles."

She hangs out in limos.

Goes on really nice vacations.

She also has a cute dog:

And loves to shop.

(Follow Roxy here)

Then there's handsome singer Jonny Drubel. 

He's a fan of selfies.

And partying.

He has awesome vacations, too.

And pretty friends.

(Follow Jonny here)

Blogger Morgan Stewart is also joining the cast. The blonde socialite runs a site called ­boobsandloubs.com.

She jetsets to party in Vegas.

She's also super into her dogs.

Oh, and she has a boyfriend who is…

(Follow Morgan here)

THIS GUY: Real estate executive Brendan Fitzpatrick.

He lives a pretty awesome life.

He's often golfing, partying, or yachting in his pictures.

Or eating ridiculous meals.

And taking pictures of it all with his gorgeous girlfriend.

(Follow Brendan here)

But the real star of the show will be Magic Johnson’s son E.J. Johnson. His Twitter handle is @prince_ej and he is fabulous.

"Tis the season for fur!"

"Just call me Scarlett cause I'm gone with the wind huney!"

"This mug is beat."

"Bad bitches take it to the face! #domperignon #champagne #goinghard #chic #sttropez #france #yachtlife #badbitches #magnum #teamthis"

"Snatched the zanottis for summer yachting bitches!"

TV insiders told The Post that the new show is set up to be a successor to E!'s "Keeping up with the Kardashians" as a "sexier" show. It will premiere in January 2014.

And if you really, really can't wait, don't worry: You can currently pre-order "Rich Kids of Instagram: A Novel" on Amazon.

SEE ALSO: Check Out The Best Of The Rich Kids Of Instagram

Join the conversation about this story »

Cameron Diaz just picked up a chic condo in Walker Tower in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood for $9 million, Trulia reports. 

Diaz's new pad on West 18th Street has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a home office and Southeast views of the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower.

The 3,022-square foot residence also boasts in-unit laundry, a built-in humidification system and an ultra-quiet central air conditioning system.

Check out Cameron's new digs:

The kitchen has a wine cooler, speed oven and built-in coffee maker.

The condo has 3.5 bathrooms.

Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom.

Here's a view of the master bedroom. 

SEE ALSO: HOUSE OF THE DAY: Ethan Hawke Lists Colorful Chelsea Townhouse For $6.25 Million

Join the conversation about this story »

Michelangelo: His Epic Life. By Martin Gayford. Fig Tree; 662 pages.

LORENZO DE’ MEDICI, ruler of the Florentine Republic, was so taken by a statue carved by an adolescent that he proposed to make the sculptor a member of his household. The boy’s father was not impressed. He told Lorenzo that his family would be demeaned if his son were to become a stonemason. But the youth believed that he had been born to carve stone, and so the father relented. In the Medici court the young sculptor was given a violet cloak, paid five ducats a month and treated as an artist. As it turned out, the sculptor, Michelangelo Buonarroti, was also born to paint, write poetry and be an architect. He even showed considerable talent for military engineering.

Michelangelo died in 1564 at the age of 88. The scale, variety and quality of his work during his long life are staggering. Generations of historians and biographers have tried both to explain and describe it. He was the subject of two biographies during his lifetime, and he appeared prominently in Giorgio Vasari’s "Lives of the Artists", a seminal work of 16th-century art criticism. In Martin Gayford’s monumental new epic, the bibliography alone covers 15 pages. There will always be something worth saying about the man who sculpted a naked David 17 feet (5.5 metres) high and who painted the ceiling (detail pictured below) and the awesome "Last Judgment" in the Sistine Chapel. He came to architecture late in life but his staircase to the Laurentian Library in Florence is so beautiful that it transforms an architectural detail into a dazzling work of art.

Recent biographies of artists such as Titian and Vincent van Gogh have not been light reading, in either the literary or the literal sense. To distinguish their work from earlier biographies, authors dig deep into the social and political context in which these artists worked, and so does Mr Gayford. A gifted popular art historian, he has also become a student of the papacy in the 16th century. He writes that Michelangelo, who worked for ten popes, also argued with them and sometimes refused to do their bidding: "highly unwise, but revolutionary," says Mr Gayford. Only in Florence did the church authorities know how to cope with him. "His disposition is such that, if spoken to kindly, he will do everything," they told Pope Julius II, his patron. "It is necessary to show him love and favour him."

That was not easy. Michelangelo was the most uncompromising of men; he insisted that he had not been taught anything by anyone and he preferred to work alone. He was also a miserly curmudgeon, given to complaining--about his tailor in Florence, for instance, who did not let him try on a doublet that turned out to be tight across the chest. Although he was entranced by handsome young men, he seemed to have had little appetite for sex. Eventually he quarrelled with nearly every one of his friends.

Although he was a contemporary--and unrelenting rival--of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, Michelangelo is an incomparable figure among artists, in a rarefied league with Shakespeare and Mozart. It is the job of a popular historian to remind each generation of the remarkable qualities of real genius. Mr Gayford’s readable life does just that.

Click here to subscribe to The Economist

Join the conversation about this story »

Bruce Wayne who? Christian Bale trades Batman's cape and tights to play Irving Rosenfield, an overweight, balding con artist in the new film "American Hustle."

For the role, Bale told People Magazine he gained 43 pounds on a diet of donuts, cheeseburgers, and anything else he could get his hands on.

He estimated going from about 185 to 228 pounds. The actor also shaved his head, and slouched enough to accidentally herniate a disc in his back.

Bale was so unrecognizable that co-star Robert De Niro had to ask who Bale was upon meeting him on set. 

It's not the first role Bale has gained or lost weight for — "The Machinist," the "Dark Knight" trilogy, and recent film "Out of the Furnace" all required dramatic changes in his appearance.

While Bale may be a master of transformation, he's certainly not the only Hollywood actor who has gone above and beyond — losing weight, undergoing hours of makeup application, and wearing prosthetics — for a role.

Ryan Reynolds gained 25 pounds of muscle for his role in "Blade: Trinity."

"Blade: Trinity" is probably not the most dignified movie to prove acting credibility but Ryan Reynolds disagrees. 

"The Proposal" actor obsessively trained to look like the graphic novel's character working out six days a week and consuming 3,200 daily calories for three months to gain a six-pack.

Natalie Portman lost 20 pounds to play a ballerina dancer in "Black Swan."

Portman was on a carrots and almond diet to play ballet dancer Nina Sayers and worked out five to eight hours a day via cross-training, swimming, and ballet.

The actress later told Entertainment Weekly the extent of her preparation for the role:

"There were some nights that I thought I literally was going to die," Portman told EW. "It was the first time I understood how you could get so wrapped up in a role that it could sort of take you down."

Christian Bale lost more than 63 lbs. for his role in "The Machinist."

Bale got down to a body weight of 120 pounds by running, and on a daily diet of an apple and can of tuna.

The actor gained it all back, plus an extra 30 pounds, for his role as Bruce Wayne in "Batman Begins." 

He talked about his weight gain with IGN, saying: 

"... I think putting weight on, unfortunately I had to put it on pretty fast and it's not very healthy doing that. That was when I felt bad. I did actually start to feel I was putting my body under too much pressure because I put on 100 pounds in five months."

Bale later gained 43 pounds for this weekend's "American Hustle."

What are the most popular Christmas songs in America?

We have the answer.

A few years ago, Billboard created a chart exclusively devoted to Christmas songs. It measures the volume  of people who've been exposed to the song on the radio (Billboard does not provide exact figures, only the ranking).

So here is your American Christmas canon as of the week of Holiday Season 2013:  

10. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" By John Lennon (1971) 

There's some debate about how much snark is in this song. We'd like to think John was above using children in that way. 

9."Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" By Trans-Siberian Orchestra (1995)

Okay.

8. "White Christmas" By Bing Crosby (1942)

Apocryphally, Irving Berlin, who wrote this song, quipped to his secretary upon its conception, "Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I've ever written — heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody's ever written!"

7. "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" By Andy Williams (1963)

This is not a good song.

6. "Feliz Navidad" By Jose Feliciano (1970)

Did not expect to see this one here.

5. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" By Burl Ives (1965)

If John Lennon's song has slipped into non-irony, the reverse has happened to this song. 

4.  "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" By Nat King Cole (1946)

King. Cole.

3. "Jingle Bell Rock" By Bobby Helms (1957)

This is not that version, but it may have salvaged this song.

2. "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" By Brenda Lee (1958)

Some one hit wonders laugh all the way to the bank. Brenda Lee is only 69 years old, and is LOL'ing hard right now at whatever you may think of this song.

1.  All I Want For Christmas Is You/Mariah Carey (1994)

The last great, original Christmas song. 

Bonus Lists, via Record Research:

Recordings With The Most Chart Appearances, 1954-2004

13.  "The Chipmunk Song" by The Chipmunks /10
12.  "The Chanukah Song" by Adam Sandler/11
11.  "Silent Night" by Bing Crosby/11
10.  "White Christmas" by The Drifters/11
9.  Merry Christmas Baby by Charles Brown/12
8.  Please Come Home For Christmas by Charles Brown/13
7.  Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley/15
6.  Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee/15
5.  Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry/16
4.  The Little Drummer Boy by The Harry Simeone Chorale/18
3.  "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms/23
2.  The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" by Nat King Cole/24
1.  White Christmas by Bing Crosby/38

Christmas songs recorded by any artist with most chart appearances

15.  "Silver Bells" — 138
14.  "The Little Drummer Boy" — 142
13.  "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" — 144
12.  "I'll Be Home For Christmas" — 147
11.  "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" — 153
10.  "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" — 159
9.   "Joy To The World" — 163
8.  "The First Noel" — 174
7.  "Jingle Bells" — 176
6.  "O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) — 178
5.  "Winter Wonderland" — 185
4.  "O Holy Night" — 187
3.  "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)" — 225
2.  "White Christmas" — 232
1.  "Silent Night" — 337 

SEE ALSO: 17 Cover Songs That Are Better Than The Original

Join the conversation about this story »

December is a BIG movie month.

For those heading out to theaters on Christmas, there are eight movies coming out. Of those, four are big wide releases. 

Not sure what to see? We've broken down which films are worth watching for everyone.

1. Skip: "47 Ronin"

What it's about: Reeves swings around a sword as a samurai as he leads an army of 47 warriors to avenge the death of their master.

The only reason to see it: Keanu Reeves.

It's the actor's return front and center in a big-budget film for the first time in 10 years.

Why you should pass: 

We love Reeves, but after some thought, we're not convinced from the trailers this looks like a great film. Maybe it's the monstrous woman turning into a cheesy-looking CGI dragon, maybe it's the fact the film has a tumultuous production story — it's been pushed back since Nov. 2012 with a budget estimated at $225 million— either way, both leave us hesitant.

At the least, you should check out the graphic novel.

Worth noting: Since his time away on screen — his lastbig films were in 2003 — Reeves has become Internet famous gaining traction for viral meme Sad Keanu.

The once-Matrix actor really resonates with fans and no matter how bad this movie may be it may very well end up surprising at the box office despite all the competition.

2. Run out and see: "The Wolf of Wall Street"

What it's about: Leonardo DiCaprio is back as another wealthy socialite, this time as crooked stockbroker Jordan Belfort.

Why this is a must-see: 

Other than the sex, drugs, and over-the-top wild parties on screen?

1. This "Anything for the Oscar" GIF of Leonardo DiCaprio

This is DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese's fifth time working together on a film. Despite DiCaprio's two Oscar nominations for Best Actor, he has yet to win an Academy Award.

2. Early reviews, including one from our Executive Producer Justin Maiman, are raving about the performances.

3. If that isn't enough, our own Linette Lopez got her hands on the script for the film last year and picked out the 15 scenes she can't wait to see.

3. Overrated: "Grudge Match"

What it's about: Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone are returning to the boxing ring to go a few rounds for the title of top boxer.

Why to watch: The addition of Kevin Hart for comic relief may be the only saving grace to an otherwise campy film that seems outdated and unnecessary. 

Why to pass: Do you really want to watch "Rocky" vs. "Raging Bull"? We're not sure how many crowds of audiences have been saying they want to see such this "epic" fight onscreen.

How many other films with two older actors trying to recapture the spotlight have you seen do well this year? ("The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" with Jim Carrey and "Escape Plan" with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are a two examples that come to mind.)

This isn't something like "The Avengers" vs. "The Justice League" that may get fans all riled up.

4. Steer clear: "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

What it's about: Based on the James Thurber book, Ben Stiller stars as a shy guy constantly lost in a daydream who finally goes on a big life adventure.

Who should see it: Fans of the book. Kristen Wiig / Stiller fans.

Why you should pass:

Collective early reviews for the film agree Mitty's dead on arrival with the adaptation lost in its own fantasy.

If we're being serious, between "American Hustle," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and this pick, we'd go with either of the former choices.

The four other movies out Christmas Day:

5. "August: Osage County": How can you go wrong with Meryl Streep AND Julia Roberts?A group of women come together for a family crisis. Ewan McGregor also stars in the film produced in part by George Clooney. Worth a watch.

6."Labor Day": Kate Winslet plays a mom who unknowingly gives a ride to an escaped convict (Josh Brolin). See it.

7. "Justin Bieber's Believe": A follow-up documentary to the singer's 2011 "Never Say Never" movie that teenage girls and "Beliebers" may want to check out, but that will probably get lost among all the other big releases. Skip.

8. "Walking With Dinosaurs 3D": Stick with Disney's animated flick, "Frozen." of is supposed to deliver a look at what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. The title sounds like the film is geared toward one demographic, but upon viewing the trailer it feels like a kid's film (a la "The Land Before Time"). Having 3D in the title doesn't do the film any favors as audiences often assume that means you must see the movie in that format. Skip.

Other films you'll want to check out:

Maybe you don't want to see any of those movies. 

There are a few other movies coming out RIGHT before the holidays you should consider:

Must-See: "American Hustle"

Release date: December 13

After last year's Oscar winner, "Silver Linings Playbook," director David O. Russell is back with actors Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. This time Amy Adams and Christian Bale join as two con artists trying to take down corrupt politicians.

Early reviews for the film are saying this could very well be O. Russell's next big Oscar win.

For the diehard film fan: "Her"

Initial release date: December 18

Need something a little more quirky? Look no farther than Spike Jones' romantic dramedy about a man (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with an operating system (voiced by Scarlet Johansson).

For the Peter Jackson fan: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Release date: December 13

Weren't a fan of the first film? The second of the trilogy should be the movie where the majority of the high-action takes place. 

Don't take our word for it, the majority of early reviews say the second installment is better than the first. 

Fans of Benedict Cumberbatch ("Sherlock") will appreciate him voicing the menacing dragon Smaug. "Lord of the Rings" fans will welcome back the return of Orlando Bloom as Legolas.

And yes, it looks like it will be in that high 48 frames per second frame rate.

For the Disney fan: "Saving Mr. Banks"

Release date: December 13

Love "Mary Poppins" or Walt Disney? This film will tell you how the legend himself brought the film to the big screen. If you thought you were signing up for a film about Disney himself, look elsewhere. You may not get the full (true) story of the adaptation but you will get strong performances from Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson.

Must-watch comedy: "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

Release date: December 18

The news team reassembles!

Even if the movie's bad — and with all of the marketing oversaturation lately it very well could be — it won't matter. Fans have been waiting for nearly a decade to see Ron Burgundy reunite with the Channel 4 News team. And great Odin's raven are there a number of cameos — Tina Fey, Jim Carrey, Harrison Ford, and more. If it's the last thing we do, we'll be seeing this sequel — for better or worse.

SEE ALSO: The best TV moments of the year

Join the conversation about this story »

After launching a website earlier this week, the first teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan's largely anticipated space epic "Interstellar" is here, and we're not sure what to make of it.

Following "Gravity," Nolan (the mind behind "Inception" and "The Dark Knight" trilogy) obviously has some huge shoes to fill. 

Unlike the Alfonso Cuaron odyssey, Nolan's film will find its space team traveling through a wormhole. The teaser gives very little away about actual space travel and instead plays out as an inspirational tribute / love letter to venturing among the stars in the great unknown.

Matthew McConaughey (who has been making a name for himself as a serious actor in "Mud" and recent "Dallas Buyer's Club") and Anne Hathaway star along with Nolan favorite Michael Caine.

"Interstellar" is in theaters next November.

SEE ALSO: 27 actors who dramatically changed their looks for movies

Join the conversation about this story »

"Saturday Night Live" cast member Jay Pharoah opened this weekend's show with another spot-on Obama impression -- this time addressing multiple controversies that occurred at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.

"I felt like Lemony Snicket, because I experienced a series of unfortunate events. First, I got roped into taking a selfie with the blonde, female Danish Prime Minister. Some people told me Michelle was angry at me for that, but I talked to her afterwards and I can assure you ... she was furious. Then I got caught shaking hands with Raul Castro. In my defense, he told me he was Edward James Olmos. And finally, there was a sign language interpreter who clearly had no idea what he was doing."

And then Kenan Thompson appeared playing the now infamous interpreter.

Watch the funny segment below:

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel Brings In Real Sign Language Expert To Translate Interpreter At Mandela Memorial

MORE 'SNL': Sylvester Stallone And Robert De Niro Make Surprise 'SNL' Cameo Playing '3 Wiseguys' With John Goodman

Join the conversation about this story »

Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro, the stars of the upcoming film “Grudge Match," dropped by "Saturday Night Live" for a little Christmas sketch with host John Goodman.

The trio played “The Three Wise Guys” — "not from the far east but from the east coast" — who riff about their journey to see the newborn messiah.

"Look at this, we got all dolled up and put on these stupid turbans — who is this kid anyway, Jesus? What is he, Latino? Do we even know his last name?" questions Sly.

Watch the full sketch below:

SEE ALSO: 'SNL' Open Mocks Obama Selfie And Mandela Sign Language Interpreter

MORE: John Goodman Sings 'All I Want For Christmas Is Booty' In 'SNL' Monologue

Join the conversation about this story »

While John Goodman hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the 13th time, Kings of Leon were the show's musical guest.

The group performed two songs.

"Temple"

"Wait For Me"

SEE ALSO: John Goodman Sings 'All I Want For Christmas Is Booty' In 'SNL' Monologue

Join the conversation about this story »

YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley is fighting back against a lawsuit filed by Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Kimye was not pleased after Hurley posted video of their October marriage proposalat AT&T Park in San Francisco to his new video-sharing website, MixBit, claiming he violated the confidentiality agreement.

But Hurley has just filed docs of his own, syaing that, "NO ONE ever told him he wasn't allowed to shoot or distribute the footage," according to TMZ.

"Chad says ... after the proposal, someone did approach him with a waiver and told him it was a release so they could use his image in a TV special .. and he signed the doc without reading it," reports TMZ. "But still, Chad says he shouldn't be legally bound by the waiver because he was misled into signing it and he got no compensation in return for signing away his rights."

Hurley, who also posed for a pic with the signed form at the request of Kimye's crew, is asking the judge to throw out the case and requesting Kardashian and West pay for his legal fees -- not that he can't afford it.

Kardashian and West are seeking unspecified damages from Hurley and his company, Avos Systems Inc.

"Exclusive rights, such as those sold by plaintiffs to publication of video of the event, are particularly valuable," states the couple's initial lawsuit. "If people violate these rights ... they are of substantially diminished value."

SEE ALSO: Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Sue Youtube Co-Founder For Posting Their Proposal Video chad hur

Join the conversation about this story »

John Goodman opened his 13th time hosting "Saturday Night Live" by saying how much he loves his wife, especially during the holiday season.

He and Kenan Thompson then broke into a bluesy song titled, “All I Want For Christmas Is Booty.” 

A sample lyric: "Got a gift, you don't need to buy, just turn around, I'll show you why."

Watch Goodman's complete monologue below:

John Goodman - Monologue - SNL 12-14-13by IdolxMuzic

SEE ALSO: 'SNL' Open Mocks Obama Selfie And Mandela Sign Language Interpreter

Join the conversation about this story »

"Saturday Night Live" host John Goodman played awoman who’s “fired for being too hot” and suing her employer.

"He found my appearance distracting," claims a lawyer in court. "Because of your body, you were objectified and demeaned instead of being treated like the bright, 23-year-old woman you are."

Watch Goodman take on the hot topic in drag below:

SEE ALSO: Sylvester Stallone And Robert De Niro Make Surprise 'SNL' Cameo Playing '3 Wiseguys' With John Goodman

MORE: John Goodman Sings 'All I Want For Christmas Is Booty' In 'SNL' Monologue

Join the conversation about this story »

About a decade ago, actress Geena Davis was alarmed by the lack of female characters in film while watching G-rated movies with her daughter.

The realization led Davis to create her namesake Institute on Gender in Media, which has sponsored the largest amount of research ever done on gender depictions in media, covering a 20-year-plus span.

Davis wrote a guest column in this week's Hollywood Reporter explaining her findings on research done at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism:

"...for every one female-speaking character in family-rated films (G, PG and PG-13), there are roughly three male characters; that crowd and group scenes in these films — live-action and animated — contain only 17 percent female characters; and that the ratio of male-female characters has been exactly the same since 1946.

... we are in effect enculturating kids from the very beginning to see women and girls as not taking up half of the space. Couldn't it be that the percentage of women in leadership positions in many areas of society — Congress, law partners, Fortune 500 board members, military officers, tenured professors and many more — stall out at around 17 percent because that's the ratio we've come to see as the norm?"

As a result, Davis has a two-step plan to alleviate the gender inequality problem in media:

Step 1: Go through the projects you're already working on and change a bunch of the characters' first names to women's names ... What if the taxi driver or the scheming politician is a woman? What if both police officers that arrive on the scene are women — and it's not a big deal?

Step 2: When describing a crowd scene, write in the script, "A crowd gathers, which is half female." That may seem weird, but I promise you, somehow or other on the set that day the crowd will turn out to be 17 percent female otherwise. 

Read the full guest column on THR here >

SEE ALSO: WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The 22 Most Influential Former Beauty Queens

Join the conversation about this story »

As if the Wii U, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One weren't enough, there's another major player in the video game industry dipping its toes in the video game console race.

Valve, the company responsible for the immensely popular Steam digital distribution platform and revolutionary games like "Half-Life 2" and "Portal," is giving 300 gamers around the country a free prototype version of its Steam Machine game console for testing.

The Steam Machine is based on standard PC hardware, just like the PS4 and Xbox One. It runs SteamOS, an operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution, modified for increased game compatibility and performance.

Reddit user colbehr was one of the 300 lucky gamers to receive the first round of Steam Machines from Valve. The Steam Machine is currently being tested in three models with increasing levels of processing power; his came with approximately $1,500 worth of PC hardware components. He graciously gave us permission to run his photos of its unboxing.

If you like your premium gadgets to come in premium packaging, Valve doesn't disappoint. The first round of Steam Machines were sent in crates made out of real wood.

While it's really big, it allows for a ton of padding for the ~$1,500 worth of hardware in the Steam Machine.

Below the console, we see the innovative touch-based controller Valve has designed for playing games originally meant for keyboard and mouse.

Legendary actor Peter O'Toole has died at the age of 81, multiple news outlets are reporting.

O'Toole famously starred in the David Lean film "Lawrence of Arabia" and fought stomach cancer in the 1970s.

He died after a long illness, according to The Guardian, which was the first to report the news.

O'Toole had a long career in acting, which was kick-started by his acclaimed 1955 British stage performance in "Hamlet," The Associated Press reports.

His most famous role came in "Lawrence of Arabia," where O'Toole played T.E. Lawrence, a British World War I soldier who led a rebellion.

O'Toole later received an honorary Oscar in 2003 after being nominated eight times but never winning. He asked at the time that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences delay the award, arguing that he was "still in the game and might win the bugger outright."

The Irish-born actor formally retired a year ago, according to the Daily Mail. He emerged from retirement this year to take a role in "Katherine of Alexandria," which is due out next year.

O'Toole received Oscar nominations for his performances in 1964's "Becket," 1968's "The Lion in Winter," 1969's "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," 1972's "The Ruling Class," 1980's "The Stunt Man," 1982's "My Favorite Year," and 2006's "Venus."

Join the conversation about this story »

Eight years ago, I sold my PlayStation 2. 

I sold it because it was a time suck on my evenings away from work I hated.  My life was becoming a blur. Also, I was spending hours each night losing to strangers in a football videog ame called "Madden," and it was making me go to bed angry.

In the years since I sold my PS2, I've owned only one game console: a Wii. I played it for a few months before disuse allowed all of the batteries in the controllers to die. Now it's stuffed in a closet somewhere.

Otherwise, I've been console free. I skipped the whole PS3 and Xbox 360 generation.

Then, last weekend, my wife flew out of town on business and my college roommate was coming to town for a visit. He and I used to play a lot of "Madden" in college, and I thought it would be a fun way to hang out.

I asked Business Insider's console expert, Kirsten Acuna, if it would be possible for me to buy a PS4 or Xbox One before the weekend.

She laughed at me.

Apparently to get either console, the rule is you have to stand in front of a video game store in cold rain, waiting for delivery trucks to arrive with more stock. Then you get trampled and have to do it again. And it never works.

That sounded terrible.

But then Kirsten made a generous, genius suggestion: Why don't I borrow her PlayStation 4 for the weekend?

Sold!

So I spent Saturday and Sunday playing "Madden" with my college buddy. Then my wife came home, and on Monday night we played "Just Dance 2014." Then last night, I spent a couple hours playing a racing game called "Need For Speed" and a first person shooter called "Killzone."

Here's what I learned playing with the latest Playstation after having been away for years:

The graphics are as incredible as I imagined. When you buy a new game console, you expect the video game animations to look more like the real world than they did in the past – more like live-action film. On this count, the PS4 totally delivers. Human faces still look stiff and fake, but objects and limbs are now practically photo-realistic. The realism is enhanced in the football game I played all weekend, "Madden," because all its maker, EA, had to do was make it look like you're watching a telecast. So players helmets go in out of focus. The camera shakes a little. In "Killzone," the world look as good or better than what you'd see in a big budget sci-fi movie.

The load times are incredibly long. I use a MacBook air, which boots up in under 20 seconds. The apps I load on my iPhone or iPad just pop open. So I'd forgotten that it can take computers a while to load really complicated programs. That's the reality you encounter with the PS4. Playing "Madden 25," you have to sit there and watch still screens for a few minutes between each game.

Supposedly, the PS4 can be controlled by your voice. I didn't notice.

Setting up "profiles" and entering any kind of alpha-numeric data takes way too long. One of the cool aspects of the PS4 is that you can set up a profile for every gamer who uses it. This allows you to keep track of your progress in lots of games, share clips from the games online, and play other people over the Internet. The problem is that setting up your profile takes a good half hour if not longer. The reason: typing using a game controller sucks. You mouse over letters and numbers and then click them out. My email address has 28 characters in it. Entering it three or four times takes a while. The easy solution for this would be for Sony to have a smartphone app where you can set up your profile, and than have you sync it to your PS4 by scanning a QR code off your TV screen.

I'm still good at beating my friend Zach in "Madden." We played 10 games on Saturday and Sunday. I won seven times, lost twice, and tied him once. In other words, I smoked him. In other words, it was like good old times. (Hi, Zach.) The take-away here is that even though these consoles are much fancier than they used to be, the way you hit the buttons to play the actual games hasn't changed much yet. 

The motion-sensing camera/controller broadens the console's appeal. When my wife, Anna, got back in town on Monday, she wasn't thrilled that there was a PS4 attached to our TV, and that I was (for work!) going to play it for a couple hours that night. Then I told her that one of the games Kirsten lent me was "Just Dance 2014." "Just Dance" is one of those games where you try to do what the dancing figures on the screen are doing. Through a camera, the PS4 sees how close you are and gives you points. Anna and I played it for a two hours or so and we had a lot of fun. Mostly this was because we are excellent dancers. See for yourself.

Here's me:

Here's us together:

The PS4 is more than just a machine for shooting people on screen or scoring lots of touchdowns on your friend. Thanks to the camera you can buy for it, it has physical, social games that active people will like.

I didn't use the PS4's built-in tools for "sharing" clips of your gameplay over the Web, but I can see why they are there.  Entering letters and numbers through the controller takes a long time and is very boring to do. So, after I turned on the PS4, I got tired of setting it up, and never got around to hooking it up to my Facebook account. If I had, I would have been able to clip some of my gameplay and share it with my friends as Web video. At first, I thought this was a silly feature. Who wants to watch what I did in a video game? But then my wife and I used Vine and Instagram to record the videos of our excellent dancing, and we got lots of feedback from some very impressed friends. So now I get it.

The storytelling in video games is now a form of art. The last first-person shooter I was really into was the "Star Wars" computer game "Dark Forces" from the 1990s. That game did a great job of bring the world of "Star Wars" to life. But it didn't' feel like I was a character living in a story. Playing "Killzone" for a couple hours last night felt much different. You start the game as a little boy refugee, trying to escape a war zone with your father. You're creeping through a city being patrolled by enemy soldiers. He runs ahead and tells you to follow him. He tells you to be brave. Then he gets shot, and it's a painful moment actually – just like it would be in a good movie. Some people say that video games are a higher art form than movies, and I can see why they say that. In a movie, you can't pull the trigger to take sweet revenge. Also, you can't walk around the set.

You can use the PS4 as a Web TV box to play Netflix and other video. I didn't, because I have a Mac Mini hooked up to my TV and, again, setting anything up on the PS4 is a dreadful experience.

I'd forgotten how, unlike TV, gaming requires total focus. Like most people, I watch TV with my iPhone on and in my right hand. I'm looking at Twitter or Instagram the whole time. Or I'm eating. I'd forgotten that you can't do that with videogames. You can't hold your controller with one hand and pay half attention. Not if you don't want to keep getting blasted by soldiers with glowing red eyes.

Despite the realistic graphics and sophisticated story-telling, video game "worlds" still seem lonely and creepy. If you take a philosophy course in college, they teach you that you can't actually prove that other people in the world aren't robots, or that you're not living in some sort of computer simulation. It's a creepy thought, but easily forgotten because other people are so obviously real. In video game worlds, however, the other characters remain very flat and obviously programmed. They are virtual animatronics – as life-less as the robots you glide past on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disney. What happens to me when I play games like "Killzone" is that the graphics look real enough that it feels like I'm in a movie, but the characters are so obviously fake that I feel lonely. What'll be amazing – and kind of scary – is when, someday, you'll be able to play a game where the characters seem real. We're not there yet.

I realized that I actually have owned a game console for the past few years – my iPhone and iPad. When I put in the disc for "Need For Speed," I remembered that I spent most of a winter month earlier this year already playing a version of the game for my iPhone on the subway. I actually play a ton of video games on my phone. I love the Infinity Blade series and tower defense games on my iPhone, and games like Pirates! for my iPad. One advantage of iOS gadgets-as-game-consoles  is that they don't take over your TV and make it so your wife can't watch The Mindy Project.

Join the conversation about this story »

Legendary country singer Ray Price is alive despite reports of his death.

Earlier today, The Nashville Tennessean reported the Country Music Hall of Famer passed away at his home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.

The Tennessean now reports Price's wife says he's still alive but remains in hospice, and that the singer's son erroneously reported his passing. 

Rolling Stone has since confirmed with Price's wife of 45 years the singer is still alive.

"He is still with us," she says, adding that Price's son released the statement of his passing prematurely. Price is surrounded by loved ones including a Pastor right now at home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. "It's been an honor to walk this road with him," she says of her husband. "It's a sad day. We are losing a great man."

Price recently ended aggressive treatment for his cancer at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, Texas.

At the time, his wife Janie said the country star was in his "final days" making the following statement upon his leave from the hospital: 

"Ray is alert and aware of his surroundings and making decisions. With God's blessing he has not had extreme pain. But it's with great sadness that I announce to you today that my beloved husband has entered the final stages of his cancer that he has battled for 25 months."

Price is known for his smooth, wide-ranging baritone voice and songs including "Heartache by the Number," and "For the Good Times."

He helped launch the shuffle era of country music with honky-tonk track "Crazy Arms."

SEE ALSO: Michael Bublé's complete dominance of Spotify right now is terrifying

Join the conversation about this story »

This is not a joke.

We asked Spotify to send us the top Christmas songs getting streamed right now.

Here is what they sent back. Apparently, Spotify listeners only want to spend Christmas with one man, and no one else. 

That man is Michael Bublé.

Basically, listeners have his 2011 smash album, "Christmas," which has sold more than 3 million copies in the U.S, on repeat.

Only Mariah Carey shakes up the list with "All I  Want For Christmas Is You."

In order of most streams (Spotify did not provide raw data):

Michael Bublé – "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"
Mariah Carey – "All I Want for Christmas Is You"
Michael Bublé – "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
Michael Bublé – "White Christmas" - Duet With Shania Twain
Michael Bublé – "Jingle Bells" - feat. The Puppini Sisters
Michael Bublé – "Holly Jolly Christmas"
Michael Bublé – "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
Michael Bublé – "Christmas [Baby Please Come Home]"
Michael Bublé – "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
Michael Bublé – "Cold December Night"
Michael Bublé – "Santa Baby"

They also provided us with a separate list that uses a formula to "de-Buble" the list, at least a little. This is a bit more reasonable.

Mariah Carey - "All I Want for Christmas Is You"
Michael Bublé - "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"
Bing Crosby - "White Christmas"
Michael Bublé - "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
Nat King Cole - "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)"
Elvis Presley - "Blue Christmas"
Andy Williams - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby
Wham! - "Last Christmas" - Single Version
N Sync - "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"

We're not sure what Bublé does the rest of the year, but this shows it probably doesn't matter.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Christmas Songs Americans Now Listen To Most On The Radio

Join the conversation about this story »

Peter O'Toole died Sunday at age 81.

His most famous role was playing "Lawrence of Arabia" in the eponymous movie.

That movie also happens to be really long, and we're willing to a bet that many of you have never seen it.

So we're going to show you the best scene in the movie, which will hopefully convince you that it's worth setting aside a few hours to watch.

Here's the set up: Lawrence and his sidekick Farraj have fought their way back to British-occupied Cairo after a months-long campaign in the desert. And what's the first thing they want? LEMONADE.

It captures everything about the Lawrence character, and everything that's happened over the last couple of hours.

SEE ALSO: Michael Bublé's Complete Dominance Of Spotify Right Now Is Terrifying

Join the conversation about this story »