For music and talent-based contests, a general rule of thumb appears to be that the number of women on a judging panel does not exceed the number of men, but it also appears as though in their third season, Fox’s The X Factor USA will buck that trend, after Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio were recruited to join the show alongside existing judges Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato.

The new panellists will replace Britney Spears and LA Reid on the new season of the reality contest, filming for which will begin today in Charleston (USA), before audition rounds in New Orleans, Long Island, Denver, and Los Angeles across the next two months.

Cowell said of the latest in a long line of people to sit alongside him: “It’s taken more than a decade, but I’m delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!). Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different.”

Mexican singer Rubio, formerly a coach on the Mexican version of The Voice, added: “I love The X Factor! I can’t wait to find the next big music star here in America. I’m so thrilled to be part of the show as a judge. Simon, be careful what you wish for. Let’s see if you are ready to handle me. Empieza la fiesta, amigo! ["The party's getting started, my friend!"]“

Former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland, who was a judge on the UK’s version of The X Factor in season 8 (a selection of highlights from this stint can be seen below), summarised: “I am very excited to be reuniting with Simon Cowell and The X Factor family. It feels great to be able to take this journey here at home in the States.”

Having also confirmed Mario Lopez as the single presenter of the show this season (as opposed to performing the role jointly with Khloe Kardashian like last year), The X Factor will now launch in the hope of strong ratings, and not having to make a similar ‘new personnel’ announcement at the same time next year, though given the show’s nature the latter aim will probably not go fulfilled..

Looking to provide its subscribers with additional viewing experiences ahead of BT’s impending market challenge, Sky Sports have refreshed their official iPad app with the claim that they will enable ‘multi-angle technology’ for sporting events that the channel covers.

The launch of ‘Sky Sports 360′ is being timed to co-incide with one of the biggest club football matches of the season, the UEFA Champions League Final (on 25 May) which will see two German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich play for the trophy, though Sky Sports (one of the game’s two UK live broadcasters alongside free-to-air ITV) will hope that their coverage has a global edge with the chance for iPad viewers to see events in up to 20 official camera angles.

The service, which will launch in the ‘Champions League Events Centre’ of their official Sky Sports app, enables full interactivity on selected replays made available, with each camera angle supported by ‘slow-motion replays’ and a ‘goal-line technology’ feature.

Sky Sports digital media director David Gibbs summarised of the app’s potential: “This is great news for the Sky Sports for iPad app, which keeps getting better and better. This is about putting the technology into the hands of the viewer and allowing them to recapture the big moments in the final. It’s the first time we’ve offered this through our app and it’s another example of our investment in the Sky Sports viewer’s experience.”

The official press release on the matter noted: “Want to relive the match-winning goal from behind the net? Review the controversial decision that changed the course of the game? See if the ball really did cross the line? Decide for yourself with Sky Sports 360 – a new multi-camera highlights feature available in the award-winning Sky Sports for iPad app. Launching just in time for the upcoming Champions League final clash between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium this Saturday 25 May, Sky Sports 360 means that for the first time ever, Sky Sports viewers can turn their armchair into the director’s chair. Found within the Champions League Events Centre of the Sky Sports for iPad app, Sky Sports 360 lets you select and replay all the most exciting saves, tackles, and near-misses during the game from over 20 different camera angles.”

Having been offering official ‘second-screen experiences’ (including analysis tools and split-screens used by the channel’s pundits) around covered sporting events since the app’s launch last year, Sky Sports will hope that what will might be their last move made from a position of clear market dominance is one that pays off, as new rivals begin to enter the picture in sports broadcasting…

While the most important date in the history of the ‘new Xbox’ concept is today with the official console announcement, creators Microsoft are not letting the impending reveal detract them from other matters that could normally be cast off to the side for a while, such as the possibility of the console being used as a ‘home entertainment system’ as well its first and foremost priority as a games console.

For this purpose, Microsoft are believed to be in talks with a number of cable TV operators, in order to replace their respective ‘set-top boxes’ with the new Xbox.

The way in which this would work would be online delivery of content (fitting if the rumours surrounding the new Xbox’s operational methods are to be believed), as opposed to the cables from which pay-tv gets its name, meaning  operators such as Time Warner about the possibility of delivering content through the web instead of traditional cable pipes, and would lead to a corporate ‘cord-cutting’ should any company take up Microsoft’s offer.

One currently being rumoured for such treatment is Time Warner, with the new Xbox’s ‘multimedia capabilities’ planned as a draw for executives to see the potential of using Xbox as the source of any new set-top box.

While it remains unlikely that any major provider would veer away from the status quo for such a huge risk, Microsoft are strong in their belief that their new product is more than just a ‘games console’, and have even avoided referring to it as such, as the Envisioneering Group’s Richard Doherty reported to Bloomberg, noting: “They might not even use the phrase game console this time around because they’re trying to pitch it as this incredible entertainment hub in the home.”

NPD analyst Liam Callahan, meanwhile, offered an opposing view, claiming that nothing will surpass what the Xbox is best known for amongst consumers, stating: “Those entertainment options are important – in a sense they are almost a given, but gamers won’t buy a next-generation console from Sony or Microsoft for that.”

Inside the company, meanwhile, the impending reveal has triggered a period of reflection on what the previous ‘generation’ of consoles delivered to the industry, with Microsoft’s former chief executive Peter Molyneux unsurprisingly claiming that the Xbox 360 was the most memorable ’7th-gen’ product compared to the Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii. He summarised: “2013 is proving to be the year of the console hardware refresh. Although it’s exciting, it’s not nearly as exciting as when the Xbox 360 exploded onto the gaming scene just over seven years ago. Back then, the 360 represented a huge leap forward in gaming, with a tangible increase in performance and fantastic multiplayer support. Gamers and game-makers were justifiably super-excited. Now it is that time again, but the world has changed. Tablet, mobile PC and smartphone makers are refreshing their hardware on what feels like almost a weekly basis. And on the horizon looms Valve with its PC-based Steam Box. Thereby hangs the problem for Microsoft: how to justify its new console, how to get us all excited.”

They will attempt to begin that process in two parts, with today’s event primarily focused on the product’s hardware, with the E3 gameshow next month providing details on some of the launch games that could be seen whenever the console arrives. With this seeming to represent a focus on gaming for the time being, how much of a difference will the new Xbox truly be from its predecessor, and will those larger differences be likeable ones?

While the title might imply a very Hollywood new-age botox removal process, American network ABC are instead looking at an unusual new addition to their summer programming line-up.

The format, which will see actor John Barrowman (Doctor Who) present, will take five celebrities each week undergoing a complete transformation into the same musical icon, replicating their mannerisms and voice and competing to find the best ‘replica’.

Based on an existing format in Spain from Endemol called Your Face Sounds Familiar (Tu cara me suena) that has been exported to over 20 countries, Sing Your Face Off will take on a six-episode run by the network, with current confirmed celebrity contestants (who will then have to impersonate another famous person) including actresses Lisa Rinna and China Anne McClain, comedian Jon Lovitz, and musician Sebastian Bach, amongst others.

The judging panel will so far consist of Debbie Gibson and Darrell Hammond, while it is also believed that the ’idol’ of the week being impersonated will have a key role to play, with challenge-setting, coaching, judging, and guest performing likely to be amongst the possible uses for such a singer.

The Hollywood Reporter noted of the planned show: “Each episode will feature the complete physical transformation — including the icon’s walk, talk, mannerisms and more — as the celebrities compete in front of judges and a studio audience. In addition to being tasked with a physical transformation, participating talent  also will have to actually perform music from their assigned icon each week. Participating celebs will transform to play — and sing — multiple musical performers during the series. Details on prizes still are being worked out.”

The official premiere date is currently unconfirmed, but in what will most likely be a barrage of celebrity suck-up speeches and tributes, will its target audiences find a better use for their summer than ‘another singing contest’, or could the mimic format become a breakout success for the network? If any lesson could be given to producers ahead of attempting this, it should be that it only gets really entertaining when you see the multiples on-stage at the same time:

Since ‘the tallest mountain’ and ‘the deepest sea’ are naturally referred to as some of the most isolated places on the planet, it can be near enough guaranteed that they are the locations with some of the worst mobile signal coverage, although the exemption to that rule is the literal former example (Mount Everest) and its status as a popular enough ‘destination’ to be able to support even the most data-heavy calls.

The concept was this week officially proven by Taiwanese company HTC, whose HTC One phone was used in the world’s first-ever ‘video call from the summit of Mount Everest’. At 8,848m above sea level, the call between charity climber Daniel Hughes and the BBC News team will not be surpassed as the highest (on solid ground at least), while temperatures of -35°C also ensured it would be one of the coldest locations for a web-chat.

Hughes, participating in a project for the UK’s Comic Relief fundraising drive, aimed to raise £1m through his ascent, and has been recording key moments of his journey through the HTC One and its ’Immarsa mobile satellite technology’ (where signal interference would naturally not be a problem for any satellite receivers to handle).

Much like astronauts in the 1970′s who had endless ideas to be able to accomplish ’first x on the moon’, Hughes also marked a number of ‘achievements’ that were unlikely to have been done before hand, performing ‘the world’s highest Harlem Shake’, and being the first to place a red nose (the symbol of Comic Relief) at the summit, which serves as a border between Nepal and Tibet (China).

Hughes explained his pride at his accomplishments, stating in the satellite interview: “This project has been two and a half years in the making and it’s hard to put into words how amazing and surreal it is to be speaking to London from the highest point in the world. The support for the expedition has been phenomenal and thanks to the interactive nature of the climb, I really felt like I had everyone behind me.”

A HTC spokesperson added from a safer location: “We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of design and innovation and the HTC One was put to the ultimate test in extreme conditions, where it was able to help Daniel connect to everyone back home – even from the top of the world. We’re truly proud to have been part of Daniel’s amazing journey.”

The ‘landmark phone call’ can be seen below, while supporters of his effort are encouraged to donate via the ‘Everest Millions‘ website. With the highest possible video chat (without being in a plane or in orbit) now complete, it is up to rivals such as Samsung, Apple, or Google to see HTC’s boast and raise it (or lower it, since ‘deepest call’ would have to be the most attainable record now)…