Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the One Laptop Per Child initiative, says that the next prototype laptop to come out of the factory will be the XO-3 model discussed here. Back in December we were told that the XO-3 would be ready for 2012 with a $75 price tag. Apparently the folks at OLPC are ramping up production techniques. According to Negroponte, the dream tablet for developing countries will be put together in prototype form by December 2010 and will be formally revealed at the next Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011. Though the prototype model will feature a glass screen, the objective is for it to eventually be “100 percent plastic, unbreakable, and almost extruded out of a machine.” Listen to Negroponte divulge more details about the XO-3 in the brief but informative video above.
About a month ago actor Justin Long (aka Mac) hinted that Apple was done with the “Get a Mac” TV commercial series that started way backin 2006. The latest “Get a Mac” ad was released in October 2009. So it comes at no surprise that Apple has officially decided to pull the plug on it. Watch the compilation video above to reminisce the good ‘ol days of PC (the hilarious John Hodgeman) and Mac. In addition to removing the commercials from the airwaves, Apple has replaced the “Get a Mac” website (which allowed you to watch the ads on demand) with a “Why You’ll Love a Mac” page. Head over to AdFreak where you’ll find a listing of every ad made over the years (there’s 66 in total). Look after the break to watch my two favorite spots.
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.
So we all know T.I. is “Back.” But is he bringing the goods? With fresh singles “Got Your Back” and “Yeah Ya Know (Takers)” released into the wild, I can answer that question with a resounding yes. “Got Your Back” features a classic T.I. beat behind a catchy chorus provided by the talented and sexy Keri Hilson. “Yeah Ya Know (Takers)”, produced by Smash Factory and DJ Toomp, doubles as a promotional track for T.I.’s new feature film Takers which hits theatres August 20. In it, Tip proves that prison didn’t change him, it made him better. A medley of heavy drums, synth, guitar riffs, and fast lyrics makes the track an instant hit. Preview and download the two singles below. King Uncaged is expected to drop August 17.
Update: The “music video” for “Yeah Ya Know (Takers)” is out now. I put music video in quotes because it’s more like an extended theatrical trailer for T.I.’s new movie Takers, starring Matt Dillion, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez,Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, and Tip himself. It’s due out in theatres August 20. Find the video after the break.
Big Boi of OutKast fame is finally ready to move forward with his solo album titled Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty, due out July 6. “Shutterbug” was released about one month ago, and today a music video for it has hit the ‘Net. And man is it out there. Disembodied heads, puppets with vocoders, Tron-like figures in neon jumpsuits. The visuals are nasty, the girls are pretty, and the beat is poppin’. Me likey. I’m very much looking forward to Big Boi’s long-awaited solo debut.
“Rockstar 101” is the fourth single off Rihanna’s latest album Rated R. In the music video we find Rihanna, well, living the life of a (sexy) rockstar. At one point she even dresses up as Slash (who lends guitar licks to the track), top hat and all. Also, look out for drummer Travis Barker. The video was directed by Melina Matsoukas who also headed the videos for “Hard” and “Rude Boy.” The visuals, per usual, are slick.
“Second Go” is the fourth single off electro-synth artist Light’s debut album The Listening. It follows “Savior”, “The Listening”, and “Ice.” The messy, colorful, paint-splashed music video was shot in one take. Like what you hear? Download the track and preview the album. Learn more about Lights here.
If you have not watched the original “Winnebago Man” video on YouTube, please watch it right now (warning: lots and lots of cursing are contained in the video).
It’s a simple story, really. But it’s one that had to be made. Jack Rebney is Winnebago Man. All he wanted to do was film a promotional video for RVs, but his short patience and dirty mouth got in the way. The outtakes from the video were compiled into one, and “Winnebago Man” became a hugely popular YouTube video. As of right now the video has over 1.8 million views. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer found the video so facinating that he decided to search for Rebney and capture on video the legend that is Winnebago Man. Here’s the synopsis:
Jack Rebney is the most famous man you’ve never heard of — a Winnebago salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated on VHS tapes in the 90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney — and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. WINNEBAGO MAN is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man’s response to unintended celebrity.
The documentary received rave reviews at last year’s SXSW. Kino International will release the film nationwide on July 9. And if you happen to live in Chicago, the movie will be previewed at The Gene Siskel Film Center on June 16 with Steinbauer on hand to answer questions.
As one TV season ends, another begins. Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release program information to the public like the creators, producers, and cast behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Be sure to look after the break for trailers, synopses, and creator/producer/cast information behind NBC’s upcoming TV lineup.
13 new series :: 7 new dramas (The Event, Chase, Undercovers, Law & Order: Lost Angeles, Outlaw, Harry’s Law, The Cape) – 5 new comedies (Outsourced, Love Bites, Friends with Benefits, The Paul Reiser Show, Perfect Couples) – 1 alternative (School Pride)
3 cancellations :: Heroes, Trauma, The Jay Leno Show
Returning series held for mid-season :: Parks & Recreation, The Apprentice, The Celebrity Apprentice, Minute to Win It
NBC head Angela Bromstad on the Heroes cancellation: “We felt we had satisfied the viewers desire in terms of the show and the length of its run.” Though Heroes was cancelled, creator Tim Kring and the cast are hoping that NBC gives them a slot to air either a two hour or four hour (stretched across two nights) TV movie to properly conclude the series. Bromstad says NBC is in talks with Kring about making a TV movie happen sometime next season.
NBC chairman Jeff Gaspin on why Parks & Rec is being held for mid-season: “It was our toughest decision to make. But to get new comedies on our schedule, Thursday is still the best place to launch. We expect Parks and Recreation to be back on the schedule Thursday and it’s not any way an indication that we don’t think it’s as good as any other comedy. We’ve learned from cable that you can wait as long as a year, create more anticipation and not lose any momentum.”
Jesse Alexander’s (Heroes) apocalyptic drama Day One is not being developed. Bummer.
Drama
The Event: What if there was a cover-up so big that even the President was on a need-to-know basis? And what if some average guy stumbled upon the truth – a secret so powerful it could literally change the course of humanity? You think that guy would stand a chance of survival? From Nick Wauters (The 4400, Eureka) and Steve Stark (Medium) comes a suspense-filled journey where the answers only lead to bigger questions.
Starring Jason Ritter, Sarah Roemer, Scott Patterson, Blair Underwood, Zeljko Ivanek, Taylor Cole, and Laura Innes. [Mondays @ 9PM]
As one TV season ends, another begins. Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release program information to the public like the creators, producers, and cast behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Be sure to look after the break for trailers, synopses, and creator/producer/cast information behind CBS’s upcoming TV lineup.
6 new series :: 4 new dramas (Hawaii Five-O, The Defenders,Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds spinoff) – 2 new comedies (Mike & Molly, $#*! My Dad Says)
7 cancellations :: The New Adventures of Old Christine, Accidentally on Purpose, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, Cold Case, Miami Medical
Notable program shuffling :: Survivor to Wednesdays @ 8PM, The Big Bang Theory to Thursdays @ 8PM, CSI:NY to Fridays @ 9PM, CSI:Miami to Sundays @ 10PM
Drama
Hawaii Five-O: From the writers behind the blockbuster “Star Trek” (2009) (and FOX’s Fringe: Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci) comes a clever, adrenaline-fueled update of one of the most iconic shows in television history. When there’s trouble in paradise, Steve McGarrett returns to the islands and joins fish-out-of-water Danny Williams to launch an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police. In this ultimate adventure series, complete with big action and charming characters, the team hunts down ruthless criminal kingpins, who inevitably hear those three feared words: “Book ’em, Danno.”
Starring Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Grace Park. [Mondays @ 10PM]
As one TV season ends, another begins. Every year the big networks hold their own press events to preview their new programming to advertisers and audiences. The Upfronts is a time when the networks release program information to the public like the creators, producers, and cast behind their new fall and mid-season shows. Be sure to look after the break for trailers, synopses, and creator/producer/cast information behind FOX’s upcoming TV lineup.
7 new series :: 3 new dramas (Lonestar, Ride-Along, Terra Nova) – 4 new comedies (Raising Hope, Running Wilde, Mixed Signals, Bob’s Burgers)
6 cancellations :: 24 (well, not cancelled but…), Brothers, Dollhouse, Past Life, Sons of Tucson, ‘Til Death
Notable program shuffling :: American Idol performance show is now 90 minutes in length, AmericanIdol result show is now 30 minutes on Wednesdays @ 8:30PM
Drama
Lonestar: From Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman, the creators of “Party of Five”; Marc Webb, the director of “(500) Days of Summer”; and creator Kyle Killen, comes LONESTAR, a provocative soap set against the backdrop of big Texas oil. ROBERT/BOB ALLEN (newcomer James Wolk) is a charismatic and brilliant schemer who has meticulously constructed two lives in two different parts of Texas. He’s juggling two identities and two women in two very different worlds – all under one mountain of lies. As “Bob,” he lives in Houston and is married to CAT (Adrianne Palicki, “Friday Night Lights”), the beautiful daughter of CLINT (Jon Voight, 24, “Midnight Cowboy”), the patriarch of an ultra-wealthy Texas oil family. More than 400 miles away in the suburban west Texas town of Midland, he’s “Robert,” living a second life with his sweet, naive girlfriend, LINDSAY (Eloise Mumford, “Mercy,” “Law & Order: SVU”). In Midland, he plays the perfect boyfriend while secretly bilking local investors of their savings. In Houston, he’s a devoted husband, charming Cat and her family to cement his position in the rich family business he aims to clean out. Bob has lived both lives successfully for years without arousing any suspicions…so far. While one brother-in-law, DREW (Bryce Johnson, “Popular,” “The Mentalist”), admires Bob, his other brother-in-law, TRAMMELL (Mark Deklin, “Nip/Tuck,” “Desperate Housewives”), is suspicious of his motives. Bob begins to fear his secret lives may unravel. With the cons closing in on him, Bob is divided by his love for two women; his loyalty to his father and mentor, JOHN (David Keith, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Class”); and his respect for his father-in-law, Clint. Now as he tries to hold his two lives together, while fending off angry investors and the suspicions of those around him, Bob puts it all on the line hoping he can beat the odds, leave the schemes behind and keep two separate relationships afloat.
Starring James Wolk, Eloise Mumford, David Keith, Adrianne Palicki, Mark Deklin, Bryce Johnson, and Jon Voight. [Mondays @ 9PM]
