Category Archives: News

Six men journey to Mars…in Russia

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Last week a six man crew (comprised of Russian, French, Italian and Chinese engineers, doctors, and one astronaut) embarked on a simulated journey to Mars.  The team will be locked up in a contained space for 520 days to “simulate the psycological stress of a real space mission” to Mars.  The simulation includes a 250-day flight to the Mars, a 30-day exploration period, and a 230-day return to planet Earth.  Though the crew will not experience weightlessness, the jouney will be as close to the real thing as possible.  In fact, crew members will only shower once every ten days and communications to the “outside world” will be delayed by up to forty minutes.  All in the name of research!  Watch the the video above to learn more about the mission to Mars in Moscow.  Godspeed, friends!

[Via Engadget]

Will Forte to guest star in Parks & Rec next season

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SNL’s MacGruber (the movie is hilarious, go see it!) has accepted an invitation to guest star in NBC’s Parks & Recreation in a season three episode.  According to Ausiello, Forte “will play a Pawnee resident whose obsession with the Twilight franchise complicates a pet project Poehler’s Leslie is working on.  Hint: Think time capsule.”  Forte will be third SNL member to visit Pawnee, following Fred Armisen as  Raul, the head of the Venezuelan delegation, in “Sister City” and Andy Samberg’s loud-mouthed Park Ranger Carl in “Park Safety.”

[Via EW-AusielloFiles]

Want to take part in the Whedon/Spurlock Comic Con doc?

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Back in February E! News spilt the details of a Comic Con documentary to be developed by Joss Whedon (Dollhouse) and Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me).  Now we have an official press release that instructs how you can take part in the doc.  Here’s the pertinent details:

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, producer Thomas Tull, comic book icon Stan Lee, writer/producer Joss Whedon, and film guru Harry Knowles have joined together to bring audiences the feature-length documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE – a documentary celebration of all things con-tastic!

We are looking to cast original, eccentric, funny, touching, and mildly obsessive people that will capture the excitement, enthusiasm, joy, and passion of comic book, anime, sci-fi, and fantasy lovers everywhere.

If Comic-Con International will be the highlight of your year and you have a story to share about your passion, let us know. Join the fellowship, take part in this epic documentary, and write us at [email protected]. Include your name, phone number, a picture, and tell us your story.

Do you think you have what it takes to star in a such a doc?  Then watchareya waiting for?  Send that email off to the powers that be and keep your fingers crossed!  Look after the break for the full PR.

[Via AintItCoolNews] Continue reading Want to take part in the Whedon/Spurlock Comic Con doc? →

AT&T intros new data plans, iPhone tethering coming this summer

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Today AT&T laid out a brand new pricing scheme for their data plans.  Let’s jump right into the deets, shall we?  New AT&T subscribers will be offered two options for a data plan: DataPlus and DataPro.

*DataPlus. Provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data – enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 150 emails with attachments, view 400 Web pages, post 50 photos on social media sites and 20 minutes of streaming video – for just $15 per month. This plan, which can save customers up to 20 percent off their wireless voice and data charges, is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send email and use social networking apps. If customers exceed 200 MB in a monthly billing cycle, they will receive an additional 200 MB of data usage for $15 for use in the month.

* DataPro. Provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data – enough to send/receive 10,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 1,500 emails with attachments, view 4,000 Web pages, post 500 photos to social media sites and watch 200 minutes of streaming video – for $25 per month. Should a customer exceed 2 GB during a billing cycle, they will receive an additional 1 GB of data for $10 for use in the month.

That’s right, people–it’s the beginning of the end for data plans complete with “unlimited data.”  President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets Ralph de la Vega on the change: “To give more people the opportunity to experience these benefits, we’re breaking free from the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ pricing model and making the mobile Internet more affordable to a greater number of people.”  And you know what?  Unless you’re part of a small bracket of people, these changes will save you money every month.  According to AT&T, “65 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200 MB of data per month on average,” and “98 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2 GB of data a month on average.”  Much to my surprise I use less than 200 MB of data per month, so I am looking forward to saving $5 on my cell phone bill.  I guess constantly checking my Twitter and Facebook feeds plus surfing on Safari every now and then does not eat up thatmuch data; and I am sure I work on a WiFi network more often than I think.  And I’d bet you’re in the same bracket, too.  To find out how much data you use on a monthly basis, log on to your AT&T Wireless Account web page or download the AT&T myWireless Mobile app to access a chart of your usage.  For those of you who tether (or who have been waiting to tether your iPhone) to access the Internet on your laptop via your cell phone and are heavy data users, this move away from “unlimited data” may invoke some anger.  Speaking of tethering… Continue reading AT&T intros new data plans, iPhone tethering coming this summer →

Apple sells 2 million iPads in under 60 days

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It seems like it was just yesterday when we received news that Apple sold one million iPads in a matter of 28 days.  Oh wait–that did just happen.  Time for another milestone in the history of the iPad.  Shortly after launching the iPad in international waters (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK), Apple can proudly claim that they’ve sold two million iPads in under 60 days since its US launch on April 3.  Says Apple CEO Steve Jobs: “Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do. We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”  And let the good times roll for Team Apple.  Full PR after the break.

[Via Apple] Continue reading Apple sells 2 million iPads in under 60 days →

Lost: The Complete Collection coming to DVD & Blu-Ray August 24

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Lost fans, “The End” has come and gone.  But the show must go on…in your living room.  Today ABC released the details concerning the DVD & Blu-Ray release of Lost: The Complete Collection.  Here’s what you need to know.  The ultimate fan package includes:

• Every Episode in the Series (Seasons 1 through 6)

• Over 30hrs of Season 1-6 Bonus materials (previously released materials from Season 1-5 and the all-new Season 6 bonus material)

• A unique series of featurettes that takes viewers on very personal tours of Oahu where the series was created, with key cast and crew as they reflect.

• Exploring the global phenomenon that is Lost, bonus showcases events ranging from the series cast and crew at San Diego’s famed Comic-Con convention to international voice recordings, local events and even fan parties, all of which helped make the show into a worldwide favorite.

• A closer look at some of the props with cast, writers and producers, exploring their significance, stories and emotional ties to the characters.

• Humorous yet emotional look at every character who died on the series

• 16 hilarious Lost “Slapdowns” featurettes showcasing celebrity Lost fans who confront Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse to ask press questions about the final season, including the Muppets and cast members Nestor Carbonell, Michael Emerson, Rebecca Mader and more.

The packaging and its contents include: “a Special Edition collectible ‘Senet’ Game as seen in Season Six, a custom LOST island replica, an exclusive episode guide, a collectible Ankh, and a black light penlight.”  Though the list prices for the DVD and Blu-Ray collections are $229.99 and $279.99, respectively, you can pre-order them at Amazon for $148.99 and $194.99.  Don’t wait and miss out on the reduced pricing.

ABC also divulged information about the release of Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season DVD & Blu-Ray box sets.  These will include: every sixth season episode; bloopers and deleted scenes; audio commentaries; and the following featurettes- “The End: Crafting a Final Season”, “A Heroes Journey”, “See You In Another Life, Brotha”, and “LOST On Location.”  Finally there’s the Lost Blu-Ray & DVD exclusive that’s described as: “Go deeper into the world of LOST with a much-anticipated new chapter of the island’s story from Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.”  This is likely the Hurley-Ben epilogue Michael Emerson hinted at during his interview on G4’s Attack of the Show.  It will be a 15-20 minute clip that reveals the life of Hurley as the new Jacob and Ben as his #2.  (Note: All Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season extras are included in The Complete Collection package.)  Though the list prices for the DVD and Blu-Ray box sets are $59.99 and $79.99, respectively, you can pre-order them at Amazon for $38.99 and $51.99.  Don’t wait and miss out on the reduced pricing.Both Lost: The Complete Collection and Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season DVD & Blu-Ray sets will be made available online and in stores on August 24.  Look after the break for the full press release and more details.

[Via /Film]

Continue reading Lost: The Complete Collection coming to DVD & Blu-Ray August 24 →

Best Google doodle yet: it’s Pac-Man!

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Last weekend the Internet was treated with a fun little game called Pac-Man.  The guys and gals at Google HQ thought it’d be fun to turn the Google logo into a full-fledged game of Pac-Man to celebrate the game’s 30th anniversary.  This was the real deal–the game included all 256 levels, the ghosts, the fruits, the wakka wakka sound, and the kill screen in the final level.  There was even an “insert coin” button in the place of “I’m Feeling Lucky” that when pressed once started the game, and when pressed a second time introduced Ms. Pac-man and allowed for a 2-player mode (played with the WASD keys).  And check out what the playable doodle did to productivity in America on the Friday it was introduced (according to RescueTime Blog): the average user spent 36 more seconds on Google.com; the game consumed 4,819,352 hours of time; $120,483,800 in lost productivity.  “For that same cost, you could hire all 19,835 Google employees, from [founders] Larry and Sergey down to their janitors, and get 6 weeks of their time.”  Now that’s impressive (and scary).

And with all that said I bring good news!  Although the Pac-Man Google doodle was taken down after the weekend, the game has not been wiped from Google’s server.  Head over to google.com/pacman to play whenever you want!  But try to get your work done first, hm?  Aw, who am I kidding?  Get your wakka wakka action on right now!

[Via CNET; RescueTimeBlog]

Apple is worth more than Micro$oft, so deems market capitalization

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On Wednesday Apple did what was long believed impossible–it surpassed long-time competitor Microsoft in valuation for the first time in twenty years.  At the end of the trading day, Apple was up about $3 billion against Microsoft, sitting at roughly $222 billion.  These figures mean a lot of things, but one defining statement just rolls off the tongue: Apple is officially worth more than Microsoft; Apple is more valuablethan the tech beast that is Microsoft.  This is a very significant development for the tech company that could.  For as long as these two companies existed, heated competition paved the way for innovation.  Apple came first, but Microsoft quickly scooped up market and mind share with their leads in software.  Nowadays, however, things are quickly changing as Apple has jumped into various tech industries beyond the PC including music players, phones, tablets, and the TV.  Apple is gaining the mind share back, and according to these latest financial numbers, they have sprinted past Microsoft in the list of worthiness.  Apple fanboys, don’t get too excited though; the two tech companies are neck-and-neck in the charts and things can change on a day-by-day basis.  In fact, as of right now (5/28, mid-afternoon) Apple (AAPL) leads Microsoft (MSFT) 232.31 billion to 225.58 billion in market capitalization.  These numbers fluctuate, but for now, Apple’s in the lead.  Congratulations to Team Apple; you’ve made it to the top of the heap.

Update: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer downplays the shift in market value: “We are executing very well, that’s going to lead to great products and great success.  I will make more profits and certainly there is no technology company on the planet which is as profitable as we are.  Stock markets will take care of the rest.”  Though he does not mention Apple specifically, he does go on to say: “it is a long game”…”we have good competitors …”we too are very good competitors.”  He also went on to address the recent company shakeup with these choice words: he “wouldn’t predict any drastic changes” in company strategy and “we’ll have to accelerate plans.”  Plans for what, Mr. Ballmer?  Time will tell.

[Via Engadget, here & here; CNET; YahooFinance; WSJ]

Microsoft shakeup: J Allard & Robbie Bach leave the company

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After a flurry of rumors, this week Microsoft confirmed that Microsoft Chief Experience Officer J Allard and President of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division Robbie Bach will be leaving the company this year.  It was rumored that J Allard, known to many as the “father of the Xbox”, abruptly decided to resign from his post at the company after the Microsoft Courier tablet was erased from potential existence.  This was immediately shot down by Allard himself in a letter to the company that mentions “no chairs were thrown” when he made the decision to leave.  After working at Microsoft for nineteen years, he says that he’s now ready “to put some energy into [his] passion for design, the arts and philanthropy.”  For the time being, however, Allard will remain with Microsoft as an “advisor” to CEO Steve Ballmer and he has no plans to jump ship to other tech companies like Google and Apple.  Here’s an excerpt from Allard’s goodbye letter titled Decide. Change. Reinvent.; look after the break to read it in its entirety. 

If you’ve been following along, you probably understand just how difficult it was for me to decide to leave the tribe and explore new territory, but the time has come. My passion for our cause combined with my obsessive nature has put many of my other interests on hold for a long time. I don’t know exactly what tomorrow looks like – but if my focus has been 95% MSFT, 5% life until now, I know that the first step is to flip that ratio around. After wrapping some projects up, I will shift to 95% life and 5% MSFT. With that 5% I’ll be working for SteveB on a couple of projects beginning this fall.

Robbie Bach, whose been with Microsoft for about 22 years, will leave the company outright this fall.  Though he’s only 48, Bach is labeling his departure a “retirement” and he says that the decision to leave the company was his alone.  “I’m at the time in my life where I want to dedicate more time to my family and my nonprofit work, including my work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.”  Click here to read an informative TechFlash Q&A with Bach.  Here’s an excerpt from company letter written by Ballmer concerning Bach’s departure; look after the break to read more. 

After almost 22 years with the company, Robbie Bach has decided to retire from Microsoft. I have worked with Robbie during his entire tenure at Microsoft, and count him as both a friend and a great business partner and leader. Robbie has always had great timing, and is going out on a high note — this has been a phenomenal year for E&D overall, and with the coming launches of both Windows Phone 7 and “Project Natal,” the rest of the year looks stupendous as well. While we are announcing Robbie’s retirement today, he will remain here through the fall, ensuring we have a smooth transition. 

So how does this shakeup affect Microsoft?  With Allard and Bach out of the picture, this leaves Andy Lees, head of the mobile communications business, and Don Mattrick, head of the interactive entertainment business, reporting directly to Ballmer concering mobile and gaming initiatives.  I will always remember when I was first introduced to J Allard when the original Xbox was announced back in 2001, and it was great to see Robbie Bach in person at Microsoft’s CES keynote this past year.  Their experience and expertise will be noticably missed at Microsoft.  I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. 

[Via Engadget; Joystiq; ZDNet, here & here; MicrosoftBlog] Continue reading Microsoft shakeup: J Allard & Robbie Bach leave the company →

Rock Band 3 teases keytar peripheral

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Those of you who downloaded the Green Day: Rock Band demo from Xbox Live Marketplace (which includes the two tracks “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” & “Welcome to Paradise”) were treated to a teaser banner when exiting the demo for Rock Band 3.  Along with the usual suspects (guitar, drums, bass, and mic) sits an entirely new instrument, a keytar!  At first glance gamers interpreted the new icon to represent the addition of a keyboard peripheral for the new Rock Band game, but ArsTechnica claims their “now-famous Mole” has reliable information that the new instrument is in fact a keytar.  For those of you who are not familar with the instrument, a keytar essentially combines a guitar and keyboard into one, and it’s very ’80s.  Look after the break for a sexy image of said instrument.

Along with this tease comes more news surrounding the upcoming music game.  While the first two iterations of Rock Band were sold with instruments created by developer Harmonix, all peripherals for Rock Band 3 will be created and distributed by third-party game accessory company Mad Catz.  Mad Catz will promote a myriad of bundles including guitars, drums, and mics.  Information regarding the keytar will likely be detailed next month at E3.

And there’s one more morsel of news that comes from this same source.  Rock Band 3 will feature a new “pro mode” “that will require proper technique, and may lead to actual skills on guitars and bass.”  Again, expect more details about the game to be exposed at E3 in mid-June.

[Via Joystiq; ArsTechnica] Continue reading Rock Band 3 teases keytar peripheral →

Halo: Reach gets September release, Bungie thanks players with video

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Mark your calenders, people.  Halo: Reach will release September 14, 2010.  And if you’re an ultimate Halo fan and expecting to get your game on day one, be sure to preorder as soon as possible.  Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop: “Pre-orders for ‘Halo: Reach’ have been off the charts, with fans snapping up the limited and legendary editions since they were introduced just a month ago.  Overall, it’s a real testament to the passion of the ‘Halo’ fan base.”

The Halo: Reach beta invitational was a huge success for developer Bungie and Microsoft.  Over 2.7 million gamers participated in the beta, playing over 13 million games for over 16 million hours.  In a fun way to thank Halo fans for taking part in the beta, Bungie compiled a bunch of in-game footage captured by players.  The video, embedded above, contains some awesome sticks and impressive kills..so check it out.

[Via IGN; Joystiq]