Dr. Dre’s 20-year-old son Andre Young Jr. was found dead Saturday morning at his mother’s house, according to People:

Andre Young Jr., 20, was discovered “unresponsive” by his mother at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday morning, according to the L.A. County Coroner’s office.
“Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son,” his rep Lori Earl says in a statement. “Please respect his family’s grief and privacy at this time.”
Young’s mother told police that she attempted to rouse her son at 10:24 a.m. on Saturday, and when she couldn’t, she called paramedics. They pronounced him dead at the scene.

An autopsy was performed yesterday morning but the cause of death is still pending on a toxicology report. Police say Andre was out with friends and didn’t return home until 5:30 a.m. the morning of his death.

Leroi Moore the iconic saxophone player for the Dave Matthews Band passed away yesterday from complications from a June ATV accident on his farm, according to the AP:

Moore died at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was admitted with complications that arose weeks after the June 30 wreck, according to a statement on the band’s Web site. It did not specify what led to his death, and nursing supervisor Galina Shinder said the hospital could not release details.

Dave Matthews Band played last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Dave, who always credited Leroi arranging the band’s songs, dedicated the show to his late friend. “It’s always easier to leave than be left,” Matthews told the crowd.

Thanks to all the DMB fans who wrote in. Condolences to you along with Leroi Moore’s friends and family for their loss.

In a freakish turn of events, Isaac Hayes, who co-stars with Bernie Mac in the upcoming film Soul Men, was found dead Sunday afternoon. The 65-year-old soul singer was collapsed near a treadmill when he was discovered by a family member, according to the AP:

Hayes was pronounced dead at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis an hour after he was found by a family member, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said. The cause of death was not immediately known.
With his muscular build, shiny head and sunglasses, Hayes cut a striking figure at a time when most of his contemporaries were sporting Afros. His music, which came to be known as urban-contemporary, paved the way for disco as well as romantic crooners like Barry White.

Younger readers will remember Isaac Hayes as the voice of Chef on South Park. I always hoped one day he’d write me a kickass theme song. Something where I’m a street-wise detective who has sex with strippers while cleaning up the streets in my tank. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Rest in Peace, Isaac Hayes. You were one bad motha.

Comedian Bernie Mac passed away Saturday morning from pneumonia. Earlier last week, it was reported he would make a full recovery despite have been previously diagnosed with sarcoidosis a disease that affects the immune system. Sadly, Bernie didn’t pull through. People reports:

“[He] passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” his rep, Danica Smith, told PEOPLE. “No other details are available at this time. We ask that his family’s privacy continues to be respected.”

It was later revealed Bernie’s hospitalization was more serious than it was reported. He was put into intensive care a full week before the media was aware of his health problems which were played down to protect his family’s privacy, according to People:

The sister-in-law says Mac’s inflammatory lung disease contributed to his death. “He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remission,” she says. “But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection … He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that’s where the pneumonia came from.”
She reveals that Mac – having trouble breathing and running a fever – was actually hospitalized on July 24, eight days before the date given for his admittance. The actor was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator.

Bernie Mac is survived by his wife Rhonda of 30 years and their daughter Je’Niece who were at his bedside when he passed. ‘Merica, we lost a good one. Rest in Peace, Bernie.

Sad news this morning. It’s been reported that legendary comedian and cantankerous badass George Carlin passed away yesterday at the age of 71, according to People:

The stand-up comic and author – best known for his groundbreaking routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” – reportedly died of heart failure at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. (Carlin, who was open about his long struggle with drugs and alcohol, had a history of heart problems, including a previous heart attack.)

George Carlin was always awesome to me because he had a hilarious way of seeing through the everyday bullshit. The world just got a whole lot less funny and a little less brutally honest. Rest in Peace, George. You’ll be missed.

Veteran anchor Tim Russert of NBC’s Meet the Press has died today at age 58 of a heart attack, according to The New York Times:

Tom Brokaw, the former anchor of NBC Nightly News, came on the air at 3:39 p.m. that Mr. Russert had collapsed and died early this afternoon while at work. He had just returned from Italy with his family.
“Our beloved colleague,” a grave Mr. Brokaw called him, one of the premier journalists of our time. He said this was one of the most important years in his life, with his deep engagement in the network’s political coverage, and that he “worked to the point of exhaustion.” Mr. Brokaw said Mr. Russert was a true child of Buffalo and always stayed in touch with his blue collar roots and “the ethos of that community.”

Tim hosted Meet the Press since 1991 and interviewed prominent political figures on his own MSNBC show Tim Russert. He is survived by his wife Vanity Fair correspondent Maureen Orth and son Luke.

Filed under: Cellphones

If you hadn’t heard, Apple stopped producing the original iPhone at around the 6 million mark, clearing out stock worldwide and paving the way for the iPhone 3G to take the stage and carry the banner without the baggage of an older sibling cluttering up store shelves. This old EDGE unit was slow, GPS-less, closed to developers and way overpriced, but we still loved it dearly… but seriously folks, one slightly-used iPhone going cheap: $199 OBO.

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Filed under: Networking

It’d be absolutely spectacular to actually see one of these admittedly ambitious municipal WiFi projects actually work out every now and then, but instead, we’re seeing the nails start to sink into yet another citywide WiFi coffin. This go ’round, the network blanketing most of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is on the verge of sending out its last signals unless the city can devise a plan in short order to take it over from EarthLink, who unsurprisingly wants out on the double. Unfortunately, we don’t have a great feeling about the system’s future — history has a way of forecasting, you know?

[Via CNET, image courtesy of Stippling]

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Cameron Diaz’s father Emilio Diaz passed away this morning after a bout with pneumonia, according to TMZ:

We’re told the 58-year-old Emilio Diaz, a popular resident of Seal Beach, Calif., recently developed the flu which then turned into pneumonia. We hear his death was “shocking” as Emilio was in “terrific health.” Diaz is currently filming her upcoming flick “My Sister’s Keeper.” A source on the set tells us production on the film was shut down today.

My sincere condolences to Cameron Diaz and her family. R.I.P., Emilio, and many thanks for raising a super-fine daughter, who despite my cracks, is one of the few non-A-hole celebs out there. You done good, sir. You done good.

Legendary actor Charlton Heston passed away Saturday evening at the age of 84. He had been battling Alzheimer’s disease for the past six years, according to the AP:

“Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life,” Heston’s family said in a statement. “We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather with an infectious sense of humor. He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity.”
The actor died at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife, Lydia, at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. He declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details Sunday.

I like to believe somewhere in the hereafter Charlton Heston is doing what he loves best: Hunting damn, dirty apes with an Uzi. Rest in Peace, Moses. You were one of the greats.

Twenty-one gun salute after the jump. Or maybe just a trailer mash-up of The Ten Commandments if you want to get technical.

Surprise! Heath Ledger might have fathered a love child. His uncle broke the news to The Daily Telegraph which will undoubtedly make the estate bickering even more of a fucking fiasco:

Ledger was a 17-year-old schoolboy when he had an affair with an older woman who is thought to have only discovered she was pregnant after their relationship ended. The woman was living with another man at the time of the alleged affair.
Yesterday, Ledger’s uncle, Hadyn Ledger said: “There is a very real possibility that Heath was the father.”

Man, I wish I had a love child. A new one, that is. I’m getting kind of bored with the 203* I currently have. Also none of them refuse to engage me in armed combat. I even taped daggers to their bottles but, still, no dice. Wait. Can a three-year-old shoot a crossbow? Nah, the flaming arrow would throw off his aim. Or would it…

*Give or take 203.

The 31-year-old husband of Grammy Award winning musician Corinne Bailey Rae, Jason Rae, was found dead Saturday in a London flat of a suspected drug overdose. E! Online reports:

According to British media reports, police have arrested an unidentified 32-year-old man for allegedly “supplying controlled substances.” He was subsequently released on bail … No word on his more famous wife’s whereabouts or whether she was with him when he died. An autopsy was inconclusive and police are currently waiting on the results of toxicology tests before making a final determination on cause of death.

I’m not waiting for the toxicology results, I’m just gonna call it: this was a drug overdose. I probably should’ve used a picture of the guy but, let’s be honest, most of you probably don’t even recognize his way more famous wife Corinne. And yeah, I should probably show a little more sympathy, but it’s not like the guy got hit by a truck while pushing a little girl out of the way. Overdosing on drugs is about as tragic as dying while trying to juggle handguns.

Heath Ledger’s family have already begun the infighting over the handling of his estate. That didn’t take long. Apparently Heath’s uncles want Heath’s father Kim to be removed as executor because he completely botched the handling of his own father’s estate 15 years ago. Heath’s uncles have already told Michelle Williams father that Kim is a poor executor, according to People:

Ledger’s uncle Mike insists the family has nothing to gain by removing Kim: “Our only vested interest is to assure that Matilda is well looked after.”
Mike added that Kim’s recent statement that Matilda “will be taken care of” was not enough assurance. “When you are talking about large sums of money like this,” he says, “it should be an independent executor, but Kim hasn’t chosen that way.”

In case you didn’t know, Heath Ledger’s will was written in 2003 before he met Michelle Williams. It left everything to his parents and sisters. Which shouldn’t be that bad for Michelle considering she still has all that sweet Dawson Creek dough. Just don’t tell James Van Der Beek. He was paid in forehead cream.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Today is a very sad day in our little world. It’s been reported that Arthur C. Clarke, among the most influential visionaries in technology and a personal hero of Engadget readers and editors both, has died in hospital care at the age of 90. Along with his many written works (such as the infamous and immeasurably influential 2001: A Space Odyssey), Clarke was possibly best known for conceptualizing the geostationary communications satellite — clearly one of the most important technological innovations in history.

Arthur, you’ll be dearly missed.

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The DEA has ended their investigation of two doctors in the Heath Ledger case. The doctors supposedly prescribed Heath the pain medication that resulted in his death, but federal agents are clearing them of any wrongdoing, according to the New York Post:

The Drug Enforcement Agency questioned the medics and found that both of them had met with the “Brokeback Mountain” star and prescribed him other medications, but they are not the source of the two powerful drugs taken by Ledger, 28, who was found dead on Jan. 22.

So Heath Ledger got his medication from God knows where and unfortunately took too much. Tragic stuff, for sure, but I think the press has milked all they can out of this story. Unfortunately, however and still using the cow metaphor, Britney Spears’ milk bladder of news is not only dragging on the ground it’s hanging over the fence and spraying the neighboring farm. Which would be awesome if Old Man Jenkins wasn’t lactose intolerant. That poor metaphorical bastard.

While Britney Spears’ insanity was determined not to be a federal case, Heath Ledger’s death is getting the federal treatment. Two doctors are currently being scrutinized by federal drug investigators, according to NY Daily News:

The doctors - one in California, one in Texas - are believed to have supplied the “Brokeback Mountain” star with the powerful painkillers Oxycontin and Vicodin, law enforcement sources said. Authorities want to know if the drugs were prescribed illegally. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” a law enforcement source told The News Tuesday. “It’s not clear if there was any wrongdoing.”

Somehow I hope Sam Lutfi is blamed for this. And also Pete Wentz. Then they have to share a jail cell in Guantanamo Bay with a Heath Ledger fan named RazorCock McButtLover. Dear Jesus, if you’re up there, please make this happen. I’ll be a good boy for the rest of the year, I promise. I’ll eat all my vegetables and go to church. Though I can’t promise not to bring my Gameboy because, Christ, that shit is boring. Amen.

Actor Roy Scheider passed away yesterday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock. Roy was battling multiple myeloma for the past two years. He was 75. The AP reports:

He was perhaps best known for his role as a small-town police chief in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film “Jaws,” about a killer shark terrorizing beachgoers — as well as millions of moviegoers.
In 2005, one of Scheider’s most famous lines in the movie — “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” — was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute’s list of best quotes from U.S. movies.

This was sad news to me because I freaking loved Jaws growing up. I mean, shit, I wanted to be Jaws. At least until my doctor told me I didn’t have a dorsal fin. Or gills. That was this morning actually. It was pretty embarrassing considering I’d just bitten him in the leg then tried to breast stroke away on the linoleum. Awkward.

For all you Jaws fan out there I included the hilarious parody/trailer mash-up “Must Love Jaws” after the jump. Rest in Peace, Roy.

It seems like only yesterday Anna Nicole Smith died creating an insane media circus that would later be dwarved by the media Death Star known as Britney Spears. Anyway, on this one year anniversary of her death, let’s remember Anna Nicole Smith as the patriot she truly was. She defied modern convention by getting really, really enormous breast implants then bilked an old billionaire out of all his cash. Anna would later be found dead of a mysterious drug overdose that would make a young Sam Lutfi scratch his douche-beard and say “Huh. Now there’s an idea…” Rest in Peace, Anna Nicole. You’re truly missed.

Heath Ledger’s family issued the following statement in response to the final autopsy report:

We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching, and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today’s results put an end to speculation, but our son’s beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.

While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath’s accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.

Our family enjoyed an extremely happy two week visit with Heath just prior to the New Year. Those recent precious days will stay with us forever. We as a family feel privileged to have some of his amazing magic moments captured in film. To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise. To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing. We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.

We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda (to our dear Michelle) as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful.

At this moment we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately, without the intrusions associated with press and photography.

Wait. Is he talking about me? He couldn’t be. I’m never considered press. No matter how many times I wear one of those little cards that says “Press” in my hat. Then again, maybe a beer can hat isn’t exactly journalistic. Or maybe it’s the most journalistic…

The New York City medical examiner ruled that Heath Ledger’s death was accidental and resulting from the abuse of prescription medications. Heath was suffering from sleeping disorders and anxiety issues. TMZ reports:

The NYC medical examiner has finished the toxicology report following the death of Heath Ledger, and has just ruled that the actor’s death was caused by “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine.”

People reports Michelle Williams is in Australia today with Heath’s family. A private funeral will be held Saturday.