Lisa Borodkin

Sometimes, the news will not wait for your cloud-based EPK. At CES 2010, Qualcomm took over the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel for a party and Kid Rock concert to generate advance buzz for SWAGG. What is SWAGG? Details at the actual party were scarce. A fellow reporter guessed it might be a body spray, a la Axe. Although we later learned that SWAGG is a mobile solution for consumers from Qualcomm's Firethorn group...

She's craftyyyy . . . .and she's just my type! Perhaps this Beastie Boys lyric describes someone on your gift list, or maybe even yourself this season? If so, LAist has a duo of destinations to recommend for inspiration, whether it's to purchase or to get inspired to make something yourself.

Dodgers announcer par excellence Vin Scully will return in 2010. Missing out on a little Dodger action after the heartbreaker of a post-season? Never fear, our trusty Dodgers have ensured that at least one constant will remain between last season and the next. The club announced that beloved Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will return to the booth in Chavez Ravine to call Dodger games in 2010. The return of the veteran broadcaster...

Inside Gobi Mongolian BBQ - at last. (Andy Sternberg/LAist) Even though it has reportedly been open since July, last week the owners of Gobi Mongolian BBQ in Silver Lake decided to "kick it up a notch" and ran with a pro-style grand opening for the Mongolian barbecue house. LAist was in attendance, although we snagged more pictures than food, due to the wildly oversubscribed event. Lines were out the door and on to the...

Jimmie Johnson was once again the class of the field at Fontana on Sunday. Despite seven yellow-flag cautions and a huge red-flag wreck that parked the field with only 5 laps to go, Jimmie Johnson and his 48 team prevailed on restart after restart to win the 2009 Pepsi 500 and move into the lead in NASCAR's Chase standings. Having become the first NASCAR driver to win four Cup races at Auto Club Speedway in...

Mark Martin (left) returns to California this weekend to show the others how it's done. Photo by Stephen Borodkin for LAist. For the first time ever, one of NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup races will be hosted at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana this weekend with the Sprint Cup Pepsi 500 on Sunday. This is the tightest competition ever, at this point in the 6-year history of the Chase format. With four of...

Ever wonder how Andre Ethier manages to stay so chill despite leading the Dodgers in game-winning RBI? The Dodgers' right fielder shared his secret on Saturday with 100 lucky participants in DodgersWIN with the first-ever yoga session in Dodger Stadium. Ethier's yoga instructor, Johanna Epps, flew in from Phoenix to lead a group in one hour of twists, poses, sun salutes and Etheir's personal favorite, the difficult Pigeon Pose. The session took place at the...

Saturday, Jeff Weaver of the Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled to start against his younger brother, Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in interleague play at Anaheim. "It's a chance to share the same mound on the same day and not many can say that," said Weaver. "It's a moment we won't forget. It's pretty special regardless of the outcome," Jeff told MLB.com. Weaver said his parents had planned to attend the wedding of a relative in Temecula, but those plans have changed.

Neko Case, among the wild critters at the Greek Theatre. Photo by Andy Sternberg Neko Case at the Greek Theatre on Friday and the 31st Annual Playboy Jazz Festival Saturday and Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl reminded us of how much we appreciate the summer outdoor concert season. Deep in the forest of Griffith Park, the Greek was the perfect setting for Neko Case's soaring vocals and animal-centric audiovisuals. Standouts from the set were...

Awe.Sm founder, Bar Camp LA 7 presenter and Unclasses.org Instructor Jonathan Strauss Bar Camp LA 7 has taken over the offices of OTX Research in Culver City and by all accounts is the biggest and best Bar Camp LA ever. The unconference, which has taken place twice a year in LA since February 2006, is a scalable, open-source, sharing of information where hard-core use-value outweighs product demos and start-up pitches. The emphasis is on...