The Puerto Rican entertainer announced Wednesday that her newest business venture – named Viva Móvil by Jennifer – will offer cell phones, service plans and accessories through a national in-store and online shopping experience customized to the preferences of bilingual, bicultural U.S. Latinos.

“I have a drive to create things and create things that matter and change the world. That’s the basis for why I am artist and it’s not any different in my entrepreneurial ventures,” says Lopez, speaking from the CTIA Wireless 2013 Conference in Las Vegas. “I didn’t go into wireless because I think that’s where the future is; it’s not something I specifically targeted. I came from this from a creative standpoint, thinking about how the business could cater to a Latino market which I feel has been underserved. This is my way of empowering the Latino community.”

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Lopez is Chief Creative Officer and the majority stake holder of Viva Móvil, whose partners include mobile device manufacturer and distributor Brightstar and Moorehead Communications, one of the nation’s largest Verizon Wireless retailers.

Citing the fact that 75% of U.S. Latinos currently own smartphones, Lopez says that she has made sure that Viva Móvil fully addresses a wide range of needs across a rapidly growing Hispanic market that includes her family and friends.

“We have designed our stores with the way Latinos shop and this is for them,” Lopez explains, noting that the Hispanic purchasing power in the United States is expected to reach $1.5 million dollars by 2015. “That’s where the future is.”

The first Viva Móvil store will open in New York City on June 15 with other retail locations slated to open in major Hispanic markets like Miami and Los Angeles. All of the stores will be staffed by bilingual employees and will feature children’s play areas, as well as a “culturally relevant” store environment that encourages customers to linger as they test drive products.

Customers will also be able to purchase Jennifer Lopez-branded accessories,  standard Verizon phones and data plans on Verizon’s 4G LTE network via Lopez’s Facebook page, with the option to share news of their purchase with family and friends.

“Wireless is more important to Latinos than ever before and it’s a huge part of their lives – I think it empowers them to be successful in all areas of their lives,” says Lopez of creating a Hispanic business model for cell phone sales. She says that philosophy holds true for her own children, five-year-old twins Max and Emme.

“I’m just trying to raise them to be happy and healthy so they can go after their dreams and do what they love at the end of the day,” shared Lopez. “Because that’s what I’m doing. Everything I’m involved with is something I love. This community deserves to be catered to and has been overlooked for far too long.”

The announcement of Viva Móvil follows Lopez’s appearance at NUVOtv’s media upfronts in New York City, where she revealed her role as the cable network’s Chief Creative Officer charged with Latino programming. While the two ventures may seem worlds apart from Lopez’s early beginnings as a Fly Girl, the 43-year-old says her business dealings are an extension of her art.

“I’m just living my life and I’m an artist first,” Lopez divulged. “I tell everybody that even when I go into business with them. I’m an singer, dancer, actress and performer and everything I do beyond that is a blessing.”

It’s the second degree for Longoria, who already holds an undergraduate degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The 38-year-old actress decided to pursue her graduate studies when she was still filming “Desperate Housewives,” sharing with Jay Leno that she wanted to “study immigration.”

“I wanted to be literate on everything,” Longoria shared on “The Tonight Show,” who also called herself “the old one” in her classes.

Big day today!!! Very excited to graduate for my Master’s degree in Chicano Studies! You’re never too old or too busy… say.ly/Via5Sy9

— Eva Longoria (@EvaLongoria) May 22, 2013

Age aside, the graduate degree is cause for celebration. “Big day today!!!” tweeted Longoria of her college graduation on Wednesday. “Very excited to graduate for my Master’s degree in Chicano Studies! You’re never too old or too busy to continue your education!”

But unlike many other college graduates this time of year, Longoria won’t be enjoying a summer vacation. She’s set to promote “Devious Maids,” a series she’s produced about Latina maids in Beverly Hills that premieres on Lifetime on Sunday, July 28.

RELATED: America Ferrera celebrates getting college diploma

The actress – who became famous in her native Colombia with roles on soaps like “Amas de Casa Deseperadas” – has filmed an eight-episode “mini telenovela” that will be broadcast in every single Latin American country with the exception of Portuguese-speaking Brazil.

Sofia Vergara in character on the set of her new telenovela in Long Island, New York.

The 40-year-old star has already wrapped filming on the drama, which was produced in Long Island, New York and details regarding Vergara’s character and the plot of the show are being kept tightly under wraps.

“I had so much fun creating this project and I hope people throughout Latin America enjoy it,” said Vergara in a press release. “For now I’m not able to offer more details about it – it’s going to be a surprise.”

The untitled novela marks Vergara’s return to Spanish-language projects since joining the cast of ABC sitcom “Modern Family” in 2009, for which she since has been nominated for multiple Emmy awards.

Explain your blog name: My blog is named Adriana’s Best Recipes and I started it as a tribute to my abuela, Mama Licha, who was a wonderful cook whose recipes inspire me today. I wanted to share the recipes I grew up with, especially because as immigrants, our culture and values can be conveyed through food. I started cooking at home and pretty quickly my extended family both in the United States and in Mexico would ask for the recipe. So every time I cooked I would take pictures of the cooking process and the final product and share with my family. When I discovered the world of blogging, Adriana’s Best Rest Recipes was born and I hope the name conveys the fact that I’m sharing something really special.

Blogging since: I began blogging in both English and Spanish in June 2011.

Blogging from: I blog from home in Orlando, Florida, though my I get most of my inspiration in the farmers markets. I start each recipe by testing it several times and when I finally fine tune the flavors, that’s when the cooking starts and the magic begins. It’s a labor of love but a passion of mine so I enjoy it and even more so when my followers leave comments on how they loved the recipe.

Adriana Martin is inspired by her Mexican upbringing to create recipes that remind her of home.

Most popular post: My most popular posts are those that incorporate flowers, which you can use to create beautiful, delicious food. I have a guide to cooking with flowers and a recipe for tomato farfalle and basil flowers has been very popular. I also love to grill and some of my favorite recipes are for grilled corn soup and grilled chicken a l’orange. And when it comes to Mexican recipes, my most popular posts have been for my famous enchiladas verdes and shrimp ceviche.

What you’ve learned about food while blogging: I’ve learned that you need to respect the ingredients, making them the stars of the dish. My motto is “simple ingredients create masterpieces.”

Where do you get inspiration for your posts? I’m always inspired by the farmer’s market, where I can find fresh ingredients. I’m also inspired by both of my grandmothers, who passed to me their passion for making people happy through delicious food.

What have you learned from blogging: I’ve learned that you can touch the lives of many people through publishing a recipe. I’ve also learned that you need to train yourself,  take photography classes and learn cooking techniques so that your product results are better. I see my first blog posts from when I started and I definitely see an improvement! Shoot for the stars and always keep dreaming.

Where else can we find you online? You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  I’ve also collaborated with Grilling is Happiness and Que Rica Vida.

What are your favorite food blogs? I love Nibbles and Feasts for great photography and simple ideas. I also love Sweet Life Bake for her great Mexican recipes. I also relate to Muy Bueno Cookbook because many of the recipes they publish are also the basis of many of my own childhood food memories.

The film, titled “The 33” will be directed by “Girl In Progress” filmmaker Patricia Riggen and actors Rodrigo Santoro (“300”) and Martin Sheen (“The West Wing”) have also joined the all-star cast.

Producer Mike Medavoy made the official announcement about casting at the Cannes International Film Festival, reports Variety, saying that Banderas will play the role of Mario Sepulveda, a miner nicknamed “Super Mario” and Santoro has been cast as “Florencio,” the first miner to merge from entrapment.

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Production on “The 33” is expected to begin this fall in Chile, where Medavoy – who has lived in Chile – will begin to shape the story about the miners who were trapped for 69 days half a mile underground before their dramatic rescue was captured via live broadcast around the world. More than 1 billion viewers watched as the rescue took place and according to Variety, the rescued miners and their families helped develop the project.

Banderas – whose previous films include “Puss in Boots” and “The Legend of Zorro” – will next be  seen on-screen this fall  in “Machete Kills,” the latest installment in director Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete” franchise.

Consider the math. When “American Idol” first hit television sets in 2002, America quickly fell in love with contestants vying for a chance at music industry success – to the tune of 30 million viewers during its heyday in 2006. By the time Jennifer Lopez was tapped to take a seat at the judges table in 2010, she was charged with re-energizing a franchise that had been steadily losing ratings across younger audiences.  Lopez left the show after two seasons (“I made the decision that I was going to go back on tour and after that focus on film for the next few years,” Lopez told NBC Latino of her decision to leave) and the result as proved nothing less than slightly disastrous for what was once one of the top English-language shows among U.S. Hispanics.

The damage? Last week’s “American Idol” season 12 finale came in at 14.3 million total viewers, making it the first time ever that the show had failed to reach the 20-million mark. With “Idol” earning a mere 3.6 rating among adults 18-49, reports The Hollywood Reporter, the show’s median viewer is 51.2 years old – hardly the younger audience that’s key to bringing in advertisers and the reason why show executives are scrambling to make changes that may include a return to “Idol” for Lopez.

“Latinos are the fastest growing minority group as well as the youngest,” says Gabriel Reyes, a Hispanic marketing expert and president of Reyes Entertainment, a communications and marketing agency. “Using Latino on-air talent on these shows gives them a second life by bringing an audience that is key to the success of these shows. Jennifer Lopez saved the ‘American Idol’ brand and she may do it again – I think we’re seeing a trend that’s here to stay.”

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According to Nielsen, there are 115.6 million homes in the United States where television is being watched, compounding a viewership of 294 million television viewers. An estimated 40 percent of those homes are Hispanic households, making networks anxious to capture Latino television audiences – especially because the U.S. Latinos have an annual buying power of more than $1 trillion.

Television executives have essentially remade the traditional television formula using “black-white imagery” in order to get Latino viewers and their coveted dollars, says Felix Sanchez, chairman of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA).

“The old formula for variety shows always incorporated a black sidekick,” explains Sanchez. “The use of Latino talent in these types of reality shows by television executives is something that has only happened recently and it’s a new formula that helps these shows hit the numbers they need for success.”

Take “The X Factor,” executive produced by “American Idol” alum Simon Cowell. Cowell seemed “almost contemptuous of Latino performers” in the early days of “Idol,” says Sanchez. Now Cowell has signed on returning talent Demi Lovato and Mario Lopez; with the addition of Paulina Rubio, Cowell has positioned himself to gain a strong Latino viewership.

“The Latino demographic, as we saw in the presidential election, is not monolithic – there are nuances with which you can reach different segments of the market,” says Reyes. “Demi Lovato will really resonate with American-born millennials that don’t have a lot of connection to Spanish-language media and someone like Paulina Rubio will resonate with those that are recent immigrants from Latin America, where she is a huge star.”

RELATED: Jennifer Lopez promises TV programming for “modern Latinos”

The phenomenon of using Latin talent in reality singing competitions has even extended internationally, with Ricky Martin’s gig as judge on “The Voice Australia.” There are more Latino contestants on these shows than ever before as well, but Sanchez says network executives have a long way to go to truly incorporate Latinos on broadcast television.

“There’s a subliminal appearance that Latinos are part of mainstream America and that we are front and center,” states Sanchez. “But I don’t think on-camera talent is enough.”

“Unless you build a roster of talented producers and writers who are Latino to position these artists, correctly, meaningfully and authentically, our position in the industry will remain fairly superficial.”

“The crazy thing is, when you’re performing and you’re just kind of into it, you never know where it’s gonna go and where you’re gonna go with it, and how that might turn out,” Miguel told Billboard of his show choreography gone wrong.  ”So this is one of the less favorable moments.”

Even so, the 27-year-old singer was apologetic towards the fan whom he injured, tweeting his apology.

“Got caught up in the moment, thank goodness Khyati is ok,” tweeted the R&B star, who had been performing his hit tune “Adorn” when the accident occurred.

While Miguel may not have taken home an award – he had been a contender for “Top R&B” song, ultimately losing to Rihanna – he certainly earned his fair share of air time, thanks to his on-stage debacle. The hash tag #Miguel became one of the top five trends on Twitter and the dramatic dropkick went viral on Vine, YouTube and Google+.

The incident also became the subject of numerous memes, all poking fun at what’s sure to become a top moment in pop culture history.

#NowPlaying Miguel #Adorn Looool! Seen Some Of The Funniest Pics Today! Still Laughing! KCx twitter.com/ChoiceFM/statu…

— Choice FM (@ChoiceFM) May 20, 2013

And it looks like there was no serious damage done to Khyati, who not only received a public apology from the star but also received one-on-one time with him backstage afterwards.

“I’m very happy to bring my new friend, Khyati, we just met,” Miguel said when interviewed backstage while Khyati was icing her arm. “Unfortunately, we did not meet under the best circumstances, but I think we’re okay.”

I just KNEW Miguel was the White Ranger….I KNEW IT! twitter.com/SKTV_/status/3…

— Trav NEVER Chills (@SKTV_) May 20, 2013

And it looks like Khyati was just thrilled to have had her time with Miguel – no matter what the circumstances.

“I Adorn him,” she told Billboard.

Rosario – a spirits educator who has worked at glitzy establishments including Le Cirque 2000 in New York and the Wynn Las Vegas – has been practicing the craft of expertly mixing drinks for nearly two decades. Even he, who has exhaustive knowledge of creative technique and gastronomical skill, says that he’s won more competitions than he’d like to admit with the simplest of recipes. So when Rosario – who has been named “Best Bartender in America” by Cheers Magazine and who has represented the United States at the World Championship USBG Cocktail Competition – says that the best drinks can be made with fewer than five ingredients and using one of his favorite techniques, we’re all ears.

“The most exciting and flavorful cocktails are made when you allow the ingredients to speak for themselves,” says Rosario, who grew up in Portugal and speaks five languages fluently. “Bartenders often will hide the less-than-stellar quality of ingredients by adding more and more to a drink – but to create something delicious, often less is more.”

Enter one of his favorite techniques: muddling. Common enough behind the bar – in essence, you’re simply mashing a solid before combining it with liquid ingredients – Rosario says that paying attention to this step can make all the difference when it comes to an expertly-blended cocktail. For a perfect fruity cocktail, he recommends taking the time to gently pressing the fruit (make sure it’s ripe!) of your choice with a muddler, which releases the fragrance and flavors of the fruit. Taking extra care with this step, explains Rosario, will definitely release your inner master mixologist. Here’s one of his favorite recipes, a tequila cocktail which punctuates the floral flavors of kiwi thanks to a fragrant blend of mint and basil leaves.

The Savory Kiwi Smash

2 oz Partida Blanco

1 kiwi, sliced in quarters

2 mint leaves

1 basil leaf

1.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

3/4 oz Partida 100 percent organic Agave nectar

Preparation: In a mixing glass muddle mint, basil and kiwi with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients, ice and shake. Pour into a rocks glass (do not strain). Garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of kiwi.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 57-year-old Cuban actor has been cast in “Let’s Be Cops,” joining a host of talented actors including Damon Wayans Jr. (“Happy Endings”), Jake Johnson (“New Girl”) and Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”).

RELATED: Andy Garcia talks new role in epic film based on Mexico’s secret civil war

The film will feature a laugh-out-loud story line centered on the story of pals (Wayans and Johnson) who borrow cop uniforms, just to find themselves in serious hot water when their paths become intertwined with a member of the Russian mob. And Garcia? Well, he’ll play the part of a detective who is charged with the case on behalf of the would-be cops.

The film will begin shooting this summer in Atlanta, Georgia and will be his first studio film since the release of “For Greater Flory: The True Story of Cristiada” in 2012.

Although Garcia’s film roles are less frequent since he first broke out as an actor in the 1980s, the Miami resident has added “producer” to his long list of credits. He’ll be producing “Hemingway & Fuentes” and another filmed titled “Middleton,” a film about a couple falling in love while touring colleges with their children, slated for release later this year.