The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Geek

General Ursus - Planet of the Apes

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:29:00 +0000

Sideshow Collectibles is proud to bring you the Planet of the Apes 12-inch figures, the very latest from the Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece series! Each figure features Hot Toys' fully articulated 12-inch figure body and a generous number of accessories. These are some of the finest 12-inch figures ever created, featuring incredible likenesses and amazingly detailed costumes.

The General Ursus 12 inch Figure features:

Hot Toys 1/6 scale figure body with over 32 points of articulation
Authentic character likeness of General Ursus
Highly detailed clothing including cuirass, shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets
Removable helmet
Realistic ape hair
Rifle with removable magazine
Pistol
Interchangeable hands
12-inch figure stand with 'Planet of the Apes' logo

‘Tron 2.0’ Adds Original Castmember

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 04:32:00 +0000

If any fans of the original “Tron” were worried this would be more of a flashy remake than a sequel, with pretty young things replacing their 80s favorites, they can take heart. ComingSoon.net reports that Bruce Boxleitner has joined the cast, reuniting with his co-star Jeff Bridges.

It’s easy to figure out who Boxleitner is probably playing — Tron himself. Yes, the title actually refers to a character, the program-within-a-program that must help Kevin Flynn survive the deadly computer game he was sucked into. Boxleitner played Tron and his human designer, Alan Bradley. What can I say? It was the Matrix before the Matrix, readers.

While plot details are being kept top secret, “Tron 2.0” is supposed to be the next chapter of virtual reality. Last week, we told you Olivia Wilde was playing a cyberspace worker who joins in the fight against the MCP, and that Beau Garrett was playing a virtual siren.

While the Master Control Program was supposedly defeated in the first film, it obviously resurrects — and if the test footage shown at San Diego Comic-Con, and the actresses’ roles are any indication of where the plot might go, it might be a world where people go voluntarily … only to find that it’s not all fun and computer games.

What role Tron/Bradley play in that, we can only guess. Will he be a corrupted programer, controlling the MCP? Will the MCP control him? Who knows! But wondering is half of the Movie Blog, right?

Are you interested in “Tron 2.0” at all? Got any guesses as to what it might be about? Or are you bored with virtual reality after the trainwreck of “The Matrix” trilogy?

VHS is completely dead

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 04:16:00 +0000

The last of the somewhat big distributor of VHS films has shipped the beloved (and hated) tape for the last time.
Ryan J. Kugler, co-owner of Distribution Video Audio, Palm Harbor, Florida said "It's dead, this is it, this is the last Christmas, without a doubt."
However, VHS had an amazing run and I'm sure it is a testament to the fact that DVD will also be here for many years. When a format becomes as main stream as DVD and VHS it takes some time to kill them completely off.

Review of "Chuck vs. Santa Claus"

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:24:00 +0000

Chuck
Mondays on NBC at 9/8
“Chuck vs. Santa Claus”
Written by Scott Rosenbaum
Directed by Robert Duncan McNeill

Warning: this review contains some spoilers. If you’d rather not know what the story is going to include, bookmark this page and read it after viewing.

Talk about a fulcrum (turning point). The sweet, funny comedy that was Chuck turned dark and angsty in the last five minutes of this end-of-the-year episode. How very typical of this show that an episode full of elves, shiny presents, and Santa comes down to a moment of true grief for Charles Bartowski and his little friend Morgan. The ending of this episode could have permanently harshed the mellow for Chuck, but the show’s consistently light-hearted approach (or maybe that should be “heartwarming” approach) spared us the kind of letdown that would turn me away. Instead, we are left wanting the next episode now, to find out whether Chuck can get past what he thinks of as a vast betrayal.

The episode takes place entirely within the Buy More, and this time we have the whole gang in attendance: Ellie and Awesome show up before opening time to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, as Chuck, the Nerd Herd, and the BuyMorians are preparing for a horde of crazed shoppers. Even Anna is back, midriff-baring elf suit and all. But before the store can even open, the entire store is taken hostage a la Die Hard. Ned Ryerson (cute call back to Groundhog Day) is a frightened little nebbish of a guy, recently laid off, who only wants to buy some Christmas gifts for his children. Played by Jed Rees (Galaxy Quest), he’s a quiet and almost self-effacing villain. Chuck, eager to avoid bloodshed, locks the store and tries to bond with the gunman. Meanwhile, Casey and Sarah find out about the hostage situation, and enter from the Castle, determined to spirit Chuck away to safety and then extract the rest of the hostages. Chuck, however, adamantly refuses to leave his sister and friends; in the ensuing argument, Ned’s gun fires and takes out one of Casey’s toes. Ouch.

The most interesting thing about this first half of the episode is how Chuck handles the crisis. He shows a little nervousness—understandable in the circumstances—but generally behaves with cool restraint. Brother-in-law-to-be Devin wants to take down the gunman. Chuck, who actually has experience in life-threatening situations, talks him out of it. Ned allows everyone to “telephone their loved ones”. Though played for laughs, this scene was creepily reminiscent of the desperate last phone calls from the 911 victims to loved ones. Ned calls his wife, Lester dials a phone sex line, Jeff calls his mother in prison, and Big Mike calls his cousin Al. Al turns out to be Sergeant Al Powell—the very same Al Powell who was a character in Die Hard, and played by the very same Reginald VelJohnson. Linking Big Mike to Al Powell was a stroke of pure genius that paid off several times in the episode.

Alas, poor Sarah has no one to call. As she tells Chuck in the opening, she doesn’t “do” Christmas, because in the Burton household, Christmas just meant “the annual Salvation Army con job”. Chuck meets Sarah in a quiet corner for some reassurance, and an early Christmas present—Chuck gives Sarah his mother’s charm bracelet. It’s not an engagement ring, but it’s proof of love. And charming (ahem) proof at that. This tender moment is broken up by the arrival of hostage negotiator Frank Mauser (Michael Rooker, Tombstone).

And at this turning point, surprises start popping up. No sooner does the negotiator walk into the Buy More, then Chuck flashes on him: Mauser is a Fulcrum agent. He’s not shy about it, either; he freely tells Chuck that he, Chuck, is the only reason this hostage situation is happening. It’s a ploy by Fulcrum to smoke out Bryce Larkin and the Intersect (apparently Fulcrum still believes that Larkin has the stolen database). While I was not entirely surprised to find that Mauser was a Fulcrum mole, I was completely floored when Ned turned out to be a Fulcrum agent. Kudos to Rees for completely convincing me of Ned’s mousiness. To save his sister from being killed by Ned, Chuck confesses quietly to Mauser that he has the Intersect in his head.

This is dangerous ground for Chuck. Mauser tells him he can save his friends and family only by going with Fulcrum. Chuck asks to say goodbye to his sister, whom he will never see again. Chuck knows that this is no ordinary crime; Fulcrum will leave no witnesses behind. He hints to Awesome that this time, violence is an option. Devin rounds up his troops, strategizes a game plan to take out Ned, and deploys as Mauser is taking Chuck out of the store. Morgan rises like Rambo from a pile of fake snow to take out Ned with a snow-blower. Meanwhile, Sarah and Casey foil Mauser’s attempt to abduct Chuck, and chase Mauser into a Christmas tree lot. With sweet Christmas carols playing in the background, Sarah Walker stalks the Fulcrum agent. When she finds him, he nearly knocks her out, but she finally gets the upper hand and holds a gun on him. Mauser mocks her, tells her that Chuck’s secret is out and Fulcrum will pursue him to the ends of the earth. I sat there wondering if this guy wanted Sarah to shoot him; sure enough, she does—just in time for Chuck to arrive and witness what looks like cold-blooded murder to him.

And this is a fulcrum, if you will, a turning point not just for the tone of the episode, but for Chuck himself. Unaware that Chuck has seen her shoot Mauser, Sarah brightly reassures him that he has been arrested and taken away. For Chuck, this is much worse than seeing Sarah shoot someone—she has lied to him. Despite his complete trust in her, despite giving her an heirloom bracelet from his mother, despite his love for her, Sarah Walker lies to him. There’s really no reason for her to conceal from Chuck the realities of the situation, but she does it as routinely as breathing. Honesty is the bedrock of Chuck’s character, something he values more highly than Sarah, apparently, can understand. Con artist, murderer, and now liar—the shine is off Sarah Walker for Chuck. Sitting disconsolately next to Morgan (whose own world is shattered when he sees Anna kissing Lester), he ends the 2008 season staring unhappily at his future, looking as lonely as a boy who has lost his dog. This was a surprisingly adult, bittersweet ending for the episode, deftly blending comedy and pathos.

I would call this easily one of the best episodes of Chuck so far. Well written, with direction (especially in the second half) that takes advantage of the pitch-perfect comedic timing of the cast, it has laughs enough, in-jokes enough, and physical comedy enough to entertain on a completely superficial level. At the same time, it deepens and complicates the emotional story of Chuck, his family, his friends, and Sarah Walker. It does so, however, at the risk of treading on soap opera territory. The “drama” of soap opera rests on people not telling one another things that they normally would; I will definitely need to see a good reason why Sarah felt she had to lie to Chuck. Otherwise, it becomes a mere plot device to keep them apart. And frankly, that train is leaving the station. The writers need to get over their prejudices and get Sarah and Chuck together and move on with this storyline. Endless frustration is not funny.

“Chuck vs. Santa Claus” also leaves some loose ends. “Ned” is still alive, and he knows Chuck is the Intersect. What if he gets free? Will there be a moment when Chuck realizes that everything would have worked out fine if he’d only done what Sarah told him to do? Will he blame himself for the death of Lt. Mauser? I look for this loose thread to be knitted up sometime in February (yes, February), when Chuck returns.

This episode was an early Christmas gift for NBC, rounding up 7.6 million viewers, an increase of more than half a million over last week. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to put NBC higher than second place for the night; sitcoms with laugh tracks still rule the airwaves. Still, even runner-up status beats the abysmal numbers Chuck has been struggling with all year. Here’s hoping a seven-week hiatus doesn’t result in slippage. See you next year.

True Blood around the world

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:12:00 +0000

Harris sold a Sookie Stackhouse Companion to Ginjer Buchanan at Ace Books. Harris will edit the volume and write a new Sookie novella for it.

Since the launch of the HBO series True Blood, based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels, Bilmes has negotiated numerous foreign deals for the series, which is now available or forthcoming in 23 languages. In France, J’ai Lu has continued with the series, buying rights to the newest novel From Dead to Worse, as did Russian publisher AST (which also re-licensed the first two books), while Estonian publisher Keskus continued with Living Dead in Dallas, Dutch publisher Luitingh moved on to Dead as a Doornail, and Open Book in Korea added books number 3 through 8 to their list. Brazilian publisher Saraiva came on board to the series, taking rights to the second, third, and fourth Sookie novels, while Santillana in Spain took pocket rights to the first three books and volume rights to the remainder of the series. Portuguese publisher Navalha will launch with the first three Sookie novels, Norwegian publisher Cappelen with the first two, Japanese publisher Softbank with the first three, and Israeli publisher Kidmat Eden with Dead Until Dark. In the UK, the Hachette group has decided to consolidate the entire Sookie Stackhouse series under Jo Fletcher at Orion/Gollancz, moving the first four books over from their Little Brown/Orbit imprint. Gollancz will rejacket the books, beginning in early 2009, for the Australian market, to coincide with the launch of True Blood on the Showcase channel. Later in Spring 2009, they’ll launch in England, ahead of the British True Blood launch on Fox.

HBO offers other True Blood launch dates around the globe: 23 December 2008 on France’s Orange; December 2008 on Canal Plus in Spain; January 2009 in Israeli network DBS; 1 February 2009 on Be.tv in Belgium; 9 February 2009 on HBO Asia; February 2009 throughout Eastern Europe via HBO CE; and March 2009 for SVY (Sweden) and YLE (Finland) second airings.

In domestic publication numbers, Nielsen Bookscan records that a boxed set of the first seven Sookie paperbacks has been the #1 selling boxed set in the country for four straight weeks, with weekly sales thousands of copies ahead of the next closest title on the list. More than 100,000 copies of the boxed set have been shipped. From Dead to Worse, the most recent hardcover, now has 180,000 copies in print.

Moffat promises new Who monsters

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:50:00 +0000

Steven Moffat has told Doctor Who fans to expect "new monsters" when he becomes the show's executive producer and lead writer. Moffat, who is replacing executive producer Russell T Davies, was speaking at arts and comic book convention Comic-Con in California. He told fans not to expect too many appearances from old characters.

"We're not in the business of being nostalgic, we're making nostalgia for the future, new monsters, new friends."

He was responding to their questions about the possibility of guest appearances from old characters - such as ex-Doctor Who companion Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen in the 1970s - as well as old enemies.

He told the San Diego convention: "Doctor Who is at its best when it's brand new and you've always got to remember that there's a new bunch of eight-year-olds watching every year and it has to be original - it has to belong to them."

But he said continuity when old characters did return was not difficult to achieve.

"Having taken the precaution of having memorised every single event in Doctor Who's history, it's fairly easy for me to keep continuity because I remember it all.

"In the end, a television series which embraces both the ideas of parallel universe and the concept of changing time can't have a continuity error - it can't.

"It's impossible for Doctor Who to get it wrong because we can just say 'he changed time, it's a time warp, it happens'."

'Just exciting'

Moffat has already written some of the most memorable Doctor Who episodes of recent times including Blink , of series three - which featured terrifying weeping angels - for which he picked up the best writer Bafta earlier this year.

Asked about his reputation for writing scary episodes he said: "If people are worried that because I'm taking over Doctor Who it's going to be just really, really frightening, if that's your concern then… tough."

He also spoke to fans for the first time about getting the job he has "always wanted".

The writer said the prospect of taking over from Davies for the fifth series - due to be shown on BBC One in spring 2010 - was "just exciting". It was announced he was taking the job in May.

"I suppose it should be daunting or nerve-wracking but it's not a real job like working in a hospital - it's just fun."

He added: "I mean it's hard work too but most things that are fun are hard work."

Last week, Moffat denied a newspaper report that he "quit" a deal to work on Steven Spielberg's forthcoming Tintin trilogy because of the doctor Who job.

A newspaper report that he had "turned down" a two-film deal with Spielberg was "a bit misleading", he told the BBC News website.

He had planned to finish Tintin before starting Doctor Who but was delayed by the US writers' strike, he added.

Davies will remain in charge of four specials to be shown in 2009.

Black Gate #12 available as free pdf for a limited time

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:37:00 +0000

To promote the fact that Black Gate is now available as a pdf file, in addition to the usual print edition, issue #12 (Summer 2008) is being offered as a free download "for a limited time." To access the free magazine, subtitled "Adventures in Fantasy Literature," see blackgate.com, where you can download the magazine as one complete, 18.9 Mb file, or as two smaller pieces (10.8 and 8.2 Mb).

The contents of this issue include:

Fiction:
"Oblivion is the Sweetest Wine" by John R. Fultz
"Payment in Full" by James Enge
"Houses of the Dead" by Martha Wells
"The Wily Thing" by Constance Cooper
"The Soldiers of Serenity" by Todd McAulty
"Knives Under the Spring Moon" by Ed Carmien
"Whispers from the Stone" by Howard Andrew Jones
"Tumithak and the Ancient Word" by Charles R. Tanner (classic reprint)

Feature:
"Legends of the Ancient World: Orcs of the High Mountains" by Jerry Meyer, Jr. (a solo adventure game story)

Columns:
Gaming: Fantasy Game Reviews by Howard Andrew Jones
Book Reviews

Departments:
Editorial: "Solitaire Fantasy Gaming" by John O'Neill
Letters
Knights of the Dinner Table: "The Java Joint" by Jolly Blackburn, Steve Johansson, and John O'Neill (comic strip)

Cover art is by Bruce Pennington; interior art by Storn Cook, Mark Evans, John Kaufmann, Chuck Lukacs, Michael Vilardi, and John Woolley.

Black Gate is published quarterly by New Epoch Press; published and edited by John O'Neill; Howard Andrew Jones is the managing editor, and Rich Horton and Todd McAulty are the contributing editors.

Tech Company That Junked Unopened Rebate Claims Pays $10k In Fines

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:28:00 +0000

It's no secret that most people hate rebate programs. They're a pain to deal with, so many people don't even send in the rebate forms -- and then, the various companies that receive them often go out of their way to find reasons to reject them. However, a tech company in San Jose named Vastech went a bit further than that. Rather than coming up with ways to void the rebates, it was caught having thrown over a thousand unopened rebate claims into the garbage. The company has now paid up on all the rebates that it had junked and has agreed to pay a $10,000 fine on top of that. To be honest, that seems rather low for deceiving the public.

Let's Sue YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:07:00 +0000

While we all wait for the outcome of Viacom's billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube, it appears that some other media companies aren't waiting around. Italian media firm MediaSet, which just so happens to be owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has sued YouTube and Google for $779 million (almost as much as Viacom is suing for!). MediaSet claims that the 4,643 videos on YouTube that infringe on its copyrights have cost it 315,700 viewer days. Apparently, MediaSet prefers not to take into consideration (a) that most videos on YouTube are limited to under 10 minutes, meaning that it's a poor replacement for watching on TV and (b) that people who watch on YouTube aren't necessarily people who would have watched it on TV and (c) that folks who watch something on YouTube may, in turn, be convinced to watch a show on TV that they wouldn't have watched otherwise. Why bother with little pesky details like that when you can just sue a huge company that has a lot of cash. Given that the Italian government is already trying to put Google execs in jail over some YouTube videos, this looks like a larger Italian campaign against YouTube in general.

Feldman Bares All In Lost Boys 2

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:39:00 +0000

Corey Feldman, who appears in the upcoming DVD sequel Lost Boys: The Tribe, told SCI FI Wire that he reveals "a little more of the emotional backdrop of what goes on inside Edgar Frog's mind" as he revisits his famous role from 1987's original The Lost Boys.
"You've got a guy that's been over the trenches, that's been in the battles, and now this is his way of life," Feldman said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego over the weekend.
Part of that new adult way of life includes a sex scene between Feldman as Frog and a male vampire during the course of the film. Originally reluctant to tackle the scene, Feldman credits director P.J. Pesce for "being adventurous in the idea." He added: "I think we pull it off. It just gives a little more inside of what he's thinking, what makes him tick."
Lost Boys: The Tribe is the sequel to the hit '80s teen vampire movie. Tribe focuses primarily on a new set of characters, with Tad Hilgenbrink and Autumn Reeser starring as newcomers to the vampire-infested town of Luna Bay. Angus Sutherland--brother of original Lost Boys star Kiefer Sutherland--takes on the role of the new head vampire, who has a love affair with Reeser's character.
Pesce's goal was to recapture the essence of what made the original film so popular, while providing viewers with a fresh story. "The thing that was so special about the first movie was the tone ... an open-eyed look at what if a family member was actually a vampire," Pesce said in a separate interview. "Well, it's such an absurd idea that it has to be approached with humor. Our number-one mandate that I gave to myself and to them was, 'What would you really do?' ... This has got to be truthful. Humor grows out of that, and that sense of absurdist ... realization that [one of] your family is a member of the undead."
Feldman added: "It's really its own movie. ... It stands alone. But it also certainly pays homage to the other movie."
Fans looking for familiar faces from the original film won't be disappointed. "There's lots of ... character tie-ins that we did," Feldman said. "Obviously, having Angus Sutherland playing the bad vampire is a nice nod to his brother doing the original. We have Corey [Haim] and Jamison [Newlander] there as cameos."

A ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Sequel

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:38:00 +0000

They did it with “Toy Story” twice. They’re doing it with “Cars” next. They’ve been rumored to want to do it with “The Incredibles” for years. Pixar is officially in the sequel business these days, with further installments of some of their most popular franchises in the works. So how come we never hear about “Monsters, Inc. 2”? “We’ve thought about it,” “Monsters, Inc.” director Pete Doctor told MTV News about the possibility for a sequel. “We’ve got a couple ideas.” In the moment, those ideas are being filtered into a “Monsters, Inc” roller-coaster at the Walt Disney Resorts, which should open in a couple of years. But a movie? Doctor’s revelation, of course, is a far cry from an actual announcement. Or is it? When I followed up with Doctor about the nature of the ideas all he would say is “I can neither confirm nor deny.” (And he did it in a nervous voice). Is it a denial? A non-denial denial? An admission we’re on to something?

Robocop To Be Rated R

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:24:00 +0000

In welcome news today from MTV.com comes word that the Darren Aronofsky-helmed Robocop reboot will probably be rated R. This is very good news. Some people were concerned that MGM would push for a more teen-friendly PG-13 rating for this “re-imagining instead of an R rating that would be more in line with the original film directed by Paul Vorhoeven from way back in 1987. As a matter of fact the original was so violent that it had to be trimmed down to acheive its R rating because the MPAA gave the first cut of the film an X rating. Producer Mike Medavoy had this to say about the film:

“Well I was involved with the original ‘Robocop,’ and it was an R, and the likelihood is that this will be an R. It’s likely to be an R unless the director cuts back on some of it.”

Based on Aronofsky’s previous work it’s not likely he’ll be going for a PG-13 rating.

The new Robocop film is not a sequel, so I guess we can stop calling it Robocop 4. Instead of “remake” or “reboot” Medavoy prefers the currently chic ”reimagining.” It will not be tied to anything that has come before in the series, so it will be the Batman Begins of the Robocop movie franchise.

Rumors of the film being shot as a 3D feature were also shot down.

Robocop is set to open some time in 2010.

Angelina Jolie as Catwoman?

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Even though most of us are still basking in the afterglow (more like after-gloom) of The Dark Knight, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next Batman film. Well, apparently we’re not the only ones looking ahead. According to fanboy site Comic Book Movie, actress/world savior/supermom Angelina Jolie is also hoping to become part of Christopher Nolan’s Bat-universe, by donning the super-tight tights and fierce claws of Catwoman for the third film in the franchise.

(Just picturing Jolie wearing the cat suit begins to erase the horrible memory of that Halle Berry flick.)

Best of all is the source from which this news has stemmed: former Catwoman Julie Newmar is quoted as telling the New York Daily News:

“Angelina would own the part,” said Newmar. “My industry friends tell me [she] has made inquiries about the role,”

Well, it seems as though Newmar is a lot more comfortable passing the torch than Jack Nicholson was. And let’s face it, Angelina playing Catwoman would be as sultry, badass, and downright sweat-inducing as any actress could possibly be in the role. Unfortunately, The Daily News article goes on to remind us that in a recent interview, Dark Knight writers David Goyer and John Nolan stated that, as of now, they are reluctant to include Catwoman in the third film. Maybe Angelina can change all that. The woman has been known to sway men in the past.

I for one think that Catwoman is a logical step for the next film. The Dark Knight left off with Batman being falsely accused of murder, sandwiched between cops and criminals, more alone than ever, with his only love interest having been blown to smithereens. A fella’s got to have some kind of relief, and a woman in a skin-hugging cat suit, who also likes a bit of midnight roof hopping, is never a bad place to start.

Is Google's Proprietary Tech Stack Destroying Its Acquisitions?

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:55:00 +0000

While Google has bought plenty of small startups, almost none of those deals have amounted to very much. It almost seems like most of the startups disappear into Google forever. There are a few exceptions such as YouTube and (maybe) Writely. But the list of startups that have simply languished or died is much longer. TechCrunchIT is running an interesting post that suggests one of the key reasons: Google's proprietary tech stack. While Google is a big open source supporter for lower level infrastructure, once you get above that -- it's very much a strong believer in doing everything its own way. I've heard from friends at Google about the difficulty they've had learning to deal with Google's tech stack -- and certainly have heard how it's slowed down the progress of some Google acquisitions while they learn how to "transition."
In fact, some have pointed out that this is one of the side benefits to Google's AppEngine offering. Since it exposes some of Google's tech stack to folks for them to develop and run their applications, it will make it much easier to integrate them into Google at a later date. So, for startups whose strategy is to get acquired by Google (and, I should note, if you start with that strategy, you're probably going to fail), it may make sense to develop on AppEngine just because you're already signaling to Google that the integration costs are significantly lower.
Still, this highlights one of the major downsides to Google's belief that it can do everything much better than everyone else by starting from scratch: in doing so, it actually makes it much harder to capitalize on synergies from many acquisition targets. Yes, there are reasons to go against the "standard" way of doing things, but there are significant costs as well.

The MPAA Thinks You're Stupid

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:42:00 +0000

Apparently the MPAA is quite worried that people watching a movie trailer might not understand that a gun pointed at the screen can't actually shoot through the screen. The organization is forcing preview trailers that show someone pointing a gun directly at the screen to actually change the video or cut that scene out of the ad. As the report at the AV Club asks, is the MPAA worried that someone from a century ago who's never seen TV or a movie is going to suddenly show up and freak out? Anyone who's seen the movie This Film Is Not Yet Rated knows that the MPAA works in mysterious ways, but this just seems ridiculous.

Whedon To Reshoot Dollhouse

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Joss Whedon, who is readying his new SF series Dollhouse for Fox, told fans on his official blog that he is shooting a new first episode to clarify the series' setup.
The original pilot episode, which some viewers found confusing, will now become the show's second episode.
"The fact is, I'm very proud of the ep we shot, and the series is making me crazy with the excitement," Whedon wrote. "But I tend to come at things sideways, and there were a few clarity issues for some viewers. There were also some slight issues with tone--I was in a dark, noir kind of place (where, as many of you know, I make my home) and didn't bring the visceral pop the network had expected from the script. The network was cool about it, but not sure how to come out of the gate with the ep."
Whedon was quick to point out that shooting a new first episode was his idea, not the network's. That was perhaps an effort to deflect comparisons with Whedon's previous series on Fox, Firefly, for which the network ordered Whedon to shoot a new first episode and use the pilot later in the show's initial season. Airing the episodes out of sequence was credited in part for that series' poor ratings.
Whedon said that he won't show clips from Dollhouse as originally planned at Comic-Con International, which starts on July 24, as a result of the reshoots.
As for the original pilot, it will air as a second episode relatively intact, Whedon said.
Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku, is slated to air starting in January 2009.

Moffat Looks Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:22:00 +0000

Steven Moffat, who is set to take over the job of executive producer of the BBC's Doctor Who from current show runner Russell T. Davies, told SCI FI Wire that he is currently planning the fifth season of the new incarnation, due to air in 2010 following a series of five specials next year.
"It's all happening in this head," Moffat said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 23. "I know where I want it to start. I don't mean to make it sound very grand. It's very simple, just where I want it to be when it takes off. So [Russell's] arranged for that."
Moffat, who has written some of the most popular episodes of the new series so far, said that his new role as executive producer will require him to approach writing from an entirely different perspective.
"There are a bunch of things I've always wanted to see in Doctor Who, yes, but now it's slightly different--it's very different in my new position," Moffat said. "Obviously, I only turned up once a year, and practically my brief was to write, in effect, the Moffat episode--the one that's very different, the one that's a bit timey-wimey or a bit scary. And that's all they were expecting. And they would just tell me, 'Go, and do your thing.' So I would do my Moffat-y thing--whatever the f--k that is--in a very, very pronounced way. But you couldn't have a whole series like that. If you started a series with 'Silence of the Library' or 'Blink,' people would turn off. You can't have that as the first episode. It's just too grim. So it's different contemplating it from this position, very, very different."
The series will also continue to embrace a wide range of tones and genres, Moffat said. Rather than adapting the show to his particular writing style, he looks forward to experimenting with different voices to maintain the show's variety.
"That's not what the show's about," Moffat said. "Kids aren't rushing to their television sets to see how much of the Moffat voice will get through. All you can do is make exciting television episodes and experiment with different voices. I've quite deliberately and purposefully--it's not been an accident--had a very consistent voice in Doctor Who, because that enables Russell to manage me. He knows what he's going to get. He knew it was going to be dark before [he] got it, because that's what he said it was. 'You'll be doing a dark one.' Whereas Russell in Doctor Who will write everything from 'Partners in Crime' to 'Midnight,' and those two have nothing in common as far as voice is concerned. It's two totally different takes on the same show. And that's quite exciting for me, too, because I get to write episodes that I wouldn't normally write, that wouldn't be expected of me."
Moffat hopes that the long wait between seasons, punctuated by the specials, will make the audience more excited for its return. "Part of the reason behind the gap year was thinking, 'Starve them for a year. Make them want it back. Return it to event status.'"

Alice role for Australian actress

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:02:00 +0000

Australian actress Mia Wasikowska is in final talks to star in director Tim Burton's Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, according to a report. The 18-year-old is set to land the role after a long search for the title character, the Hollywood Reporter says. The actress started out in Australian TV drama All Saints and stars in US series In Treatment. She also appears alongside Daniel Craig in war drama Defiance, due out later in the year. Burton's take on Lewis Carroll's classic fantasy novel will use a mixture of live action and animation and will be made in 3D. Filming is due to begin in November, the Hollywood Reporter said. Wasikowska has just finished filming her role as a young fan of aviator Amelia Earhart in Mira Nair's biopic Amelia, starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

Doctor Who signing ban at Hamlet

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:51:00 +0000

David Tennant plays the Danish prince in Shakespeare's' Hamlet

Doctor Who and Star Trek fans have been banned from having sci-fi merchandise signed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart while they star in Hamlet.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) says only programmes and other Hamlet merchandise can be autographed at the stage door.

Tennant and Stewart are starring in the RSC production at the Courtyard Theatre, in Stratford.

The first preview begins later, and the play opens on 5 August.

Hamlet director, Gregory Doran, recently said fans arrive at the stage door with "bags" of Doctor Who merchandise for Tennant to autograph.

Disappointment

In a statement, the RSC said the level of interest in Tennant and Stewart meant "limits" had to be imposed.

Patrick Stewart has two roles in the production

"Due to the huge amount of interest in the RSC's current production of Hamlet, only Royal Shakespeare Company or production related memorabilia will be signed by members of the company," the RSC said.

"It is very flattering that there is so much interest in this production, but the sheer volume of requests means that we need to set some limits which will be as fair as possible for everyone.

"We apologise if this causes any disappointment."

Signs outlining the no autographs policy have reportedly been erected in the window at the stage door.

Tennant's performance in Hamlet has been hotly anticipated, with tickets exchanging hands on the internet auction site eBay for up to £215 each.

David Tennant talked to Andrew Marr in June about his new role as Hamlet

The 37-year-old Scottish actor, who takes on the lead role of Hamlet, made his debut as the Time Lord in Doctor Who in 2005.

His previous RSC credits include Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors.

Stewart is best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek, but has a string of critically acclaimed stage performances to his name.

He plays two roles in the RSC production of Hamlet - Claudius and the Ghost.

Microsoft Gives Vista Backdoor Keys To The Police

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:53:00 +0000

It's long been assumed that Microsoft has built in various "backdoors" for law enforcement to get around its own security, but now reader Kevin Stapp writes in to let us know that the company has also been literally handing out the keys to law enforcement. Apparently, they're giving out special USB keys that simply get around Microsoft's security, allowing the holder of the key to very quickly get forensic information (including internet surfing history), passwords and supposedly encrypted data off of a laptop. While you can understand why police like this, the very fact that the backdoor is there and that a bunch of these USB keys are out there pretty much guarantees that those with nefarious intent also have such keys. The second you build in such backdoors, no matter how noble the reason, you can rest assured that they will be used by criminals as well. No matter what, for those of you who didn't already know it, now you have more evidence as to why trusting Microsoft's "security" isn't such a good idea.

FOX Greenlights "Virtuality"

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:40:00 +0000

According to various sources, FOX has greenlit a two-hour back-door Sci-Fi pilot entitled "Virtuality".

Ronald D. Moore (better known for his work on "Battlestar Galactica") wrote the "Virtuality" pilot with another BSG alum, Michael Taylor. They will also act as producers (not a bad gig, eh?).

"Virtuality" will center on the crew of the starship Phaeton, which is on a 10-year exploratory mission. The hook of the series is that the ship has "state-of-the-art virtual reality modules that let the crew escape their constrained surroundings". The series will revolve around the consequences of a bug in the virtual reality system.

To me, this sounds fairly interesting! With Moore at the help, I would expect great things. The virtual reality concept should allow the writers to explore a ton of cool concepts without bogging down in the typical starship plots - i.e. moving the ship from planet to planet to find new environments. Kudos to FOX for granting this concept a chance!

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:07:00 +0000

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (aka "ST3") is an upcoming science fiction film written and directed by Edward Neumeier. The film is a sequel to Starship Troopers and Starship Troopers 2. Starship Troopers: Marauder will star Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico) and Jolene Blalock (T'Pol from Star Trek: Enterprise) who plays Captain Lola Beck. Released directly to DVD. The film is currently stated for a release date of July 15, 2008.
Here is the movie trailer:

'OpenMac' Promises $399 Headless Mac... But Not From Apple

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:37:00 +0000

A company called Psystar has started advertising a $399 computer called "OpenMac" which claims to be a Leopard compatible Mac built from standard PC-parts. For $399, you get a tower computer with the following specs:
- 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 2GB of DDR2 667 memory
- Integrated Intel GMA 950 Graphics
- 20x DVD+/-R Drive
- 4 USB Ports
- 250GB 7200RPM Drive
Many of the components can be upgraded, however. For example, the graphics card can be updated to a GeForce 8600GT 512MB for $155 more.
Psystar is marketing this as a cheaper and more expandable alternative to a true Apple Mac.

When comparing base configurations, the Mac Mini costs 150% of the price of the OpenMac while offering poorer performance, smaller storage space, and RAM. Not only that but the Mac Mini doesn't have the option for an nVidia GeForce 8600 video card like the OpenMac does so playing games on it is a lost cause.

The company claims that the machine is Leopard compatible with some "minimal patching" but does offer Leopard pre-installed. This is reportedly accomplished by using parts that are known to be compatible with Mac OS X Leopard, as well as the use of an EFI emulator.

With the EFI V8 emulator it is possible to install Leopard's kernel straight from the DVD that you purchased at the Apple store barring the addition of a few drivers to ensure that everything boots and runs smoothly.

Readers should note that these claims have not been independently verified, so this should not seen as an endorsement of this product. However, the technology appears to be derived from the osx86project, which has allowed hobbyists to install Mac OS X on their non-Apple PCs.
The concept is an interesting possibility, and will certainly draw the attention of Apple. The use of Leopard on non Apple-branded hardware is a violation of its End User License Agreement (EULA) and is specifically prohibited.
Update: Psystar appears to have changed the name of their product to "Open Computer". Whether this is a response to a direct request from Apple or is simply an internal company decision in recognition of possible trademark infringement remains unknown.

10 Freeware Software Nobody Knows About - But Should

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:13:00 +0000

It’s always a shame when a great program is not heard about by most people - especially when it’s free. Here are the top 10 freeware software that many people still haven’t tried, but definitely should.

10. Sharepod

If you want to get all those files off your iPod and into your computer, then this is the program for you. Sharepod was used to show how to freely and easily transfer files from an iPod to PC.

9. ConTEXT

Not only is this a great notepad replacement, it is also a great help for software developers.

8. IrfanView

Simply put, this is a simple graphic viewer. It has many essential features like email, Thumbnail/preview option, various Effects, changing color depth, and, of course, an extensive file format support.

7. Windows Live Writer

Although still in beta, this makes blogging both easy and comfortable. It supports many blog services, including WordPress, Blogger, and TypePad, and also has a some very good plugins.

6. Foxit Reader

This is the adobe reader replacement. It is much faster than adobe reader, and much friendlier to use. Try this once, and you’ll never go back.

5. Snipping Tool

Comes installed in Windows Vista. This program lets you take screenshots of the whole screen, only a certain program, free-form, or rectangular snips. Immediately after taking the screen shot, you are given the choice of editing it and saving it into your computer. They couldn’t have made it easier.

[Edit: Some people pointed out that this isn’t necessarily freeware because you need to have Vista in order to use it. MWSnap can be used instead of it. Thanks TemporalBeing and everyone else who pointed that out.]

4. Blender

Did you ever see the amazing CGI movies Pixar makes, like Ratatouille? Well, with Blender, you can make similar computer generated graphics that will amaze everyone.

3. ImgBurn

ImgBurn is great tool to create image files from discs and burn images to discs. It even supports HD DVD and Blu-ray. There is no need to use an high cost programs for images.

2. MusikCube

This is what iTunes should be like. An easy to use, uncluttered, lightweight program, which will convert most people to it after seconds of use. The plugins that are available will make for an easy transition, like being able to grab ratings from iTunes or Windows Media Player and import them to MusikCube.

1. AutoHotkey

This is the one of the most essential programs ever - if you know how to use it. With AutoHotkey, you can write scripts that automate keystrokes, which can save you a lot of time. You can make it automate annoying internship jobs, like copying and pasting a bunch of text from one place to another, to more complex applications like Lifehacker’s Texter. The beauty of it all is that it very easy to learn and master.

Impressions: "The Sarah Jane Adventures"

noreply@blogger.com (SirGeorge) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:41:00 +0000

"The Sarah Jane Adventures" premiered on the SCI FI Channel last Friday night, kicking off this seasons 'Sci-Friday' slate. he show is based on the life of Sarah Jane Smith after her time as a companion to the Doctor is over. It' also should be noted that it is produced by Russell T. Davies, who also is in charge of "Doctor Who", so "Sarah Jane" was worth checking out on that fact alone.

Here are my first impressions of the show:

The Good

I was pleasantly surprised by the work of Yasmin Paige, who plays Sarah's young sidekick 'Maria'. Even though the show is about Sarah Jane, Maria steals the focus of every scene she is in. She will be the 'companion' to Sarah Jane's version of the Doctor - and that's a good thing.

I also like that Sarah has a stash of alien gizmos and gadgetry. Her 'Sonic Lipstick' fits perfectly in the series, while the other gadgets (probably with the help of 'Luke', the other sidekick) will provide a good basis for Sarah to defeat the alien of the week.

The Not-So-Good

There was a significant amount of overacting. I know the show is trying to skew to a younger audience, but, at one point, I found myself waiting for the villain to go 'Mwahahahahaha!'. I suspect that it will work itself out, as the actors, writers and directors get a feel for each other.

I also thought the debut was a bit long. The premiere was ninety minutes and overall, it was paced fairly well. I did think there was some fluff added to extend it out, though. It was like they had a good seventy-five minutes or so of episode (commercials included, of course) and instead of cutting it down to an hour, they expanded it. Not a bad decision, but still noticeable.

The Bottom Line

It's pretty good. If the acting/writing levels out, I think "The Sarah Jane Adventures" will evolve into a gateway drug to "Doctor Who" - it has the same feel, just on a younger, toned down level.