Category Archives: Video

A brand new Angry Birds game based on ‘Rio’ animated flick coming soon [Update: Super Bowl embedded code]

Movies, News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , ,

App developer Rovio has teamed up with 20th Century Fox to put together a new Angry Birds game for iOS and Android.  Following the original Angry Birds and Seasons games, this new installment is inspired by the upcoming Fox animated feature Rio (watch a trailer for it here).  Angry Birds Rio will pack 45 new levels, increased graphics performance, and “a few new twists.”  Future updates will add more levels.  Look out for the app to hit iOS, Android, and Symbian app stores this March, ahead of Rio‘s April 15 theatrical release.

And if you you didn’t know, Team Rovio is currently developing an animated TV series based on the Angry Birds universe.  After watching this trailer for the Rio-inspired game I cannot wait to see what they come up with for the show.  Who needs dialogue when you’ve got furious birds yelling and slimy green pigs snorting?

Update: It’s been revealed that during the Super Bowl 20th Century Fox will air a 30-second commercial promoting Rio that features an embedded code, the first of its kind.  The secret code will be inserted into a single frame of the ad.  When it’s entered into the Angry Birds app a new level will be unlocked and it will enter players into a Rio sweepstakes.  Winners will attend the animated flick’s world premiere in Rio de Janeiro on March 22. That also happens to be the day Angry Birds Rio hits the App Store, in case you were wondering.

[Via Nerdist; UnwiredView; Reuters]

SOCOM 4 ships April 19, new multiplayer trailer and game stills enclosed

Images, News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fans of the beloved PlayStation franchise SOCOM, listen here!  Developer Zipper Interactive announced a release date for the latest installment.  SOCOM 4 hits shelves April 19 exclusively for the PlayStation 3.  As promised the game will boast multiplayer support we’ve come to know and love, as well as a significantly enhanced single player campaign.  As I’ve shared with you before, all SOCOM games following PS2’s SOCOM II never sat well with me. Thankfully, Zipper promises that they’re going back to their roots with SOCOM 4, eliminating all of the fluff and nixing all the problems of past iterations (namely SOCOM 3, Combined Assault, and Confrontation; online lag issues and weak (and sometimes totally absent) single player modes plagued these titles).  After previewing SOCOM 4 at E3 2010 I am happy to report that the updated graphics are stunning and at the same time the title manages to capture the classic feel I last experienced playing the 2003 sequel.  Add in the PlayStation Move support, and you’ve got a PS3 shooter that deserves wild anticipation.

Preorder SOCOM 4 at GameStop.  Why?  Because you’ll receive a GameStop exclusive map. “Abandoned” is a modern take on SOCOM & SOCOM II’s “Suppression” map and it’s being described like this: “Abandoned takes place in the daytime around an ancient Thai village deep in the misty jungle. Fight your way over dense hillsides, through dark caves, and into the close-quarters mayhem of the archeological site. Classic SOCOM heritage meets evolved SOCOM 4 action.”  That’s what I like to hear.  You’ll also receive a weapon, the Super M90 Shotgun.  Whether you purchase the game online or pick it up in-store, you will be given instructions and a code to download the exclusive map and weapon when you load the game.  Want to get in on the action early?  For a limited time new copies of Killzone 3 (which releases February 22) will include an access code to the SOCOM 4 multiplayer beta. Specially marked cases for the Killzone 3 standalone and Helghast editions are your ticket into the beta, so keep an eye out of them.  Zipper has not announced when they will turn the beta on.

According to a Zipper rep, “the good news is that this is just the beginning of an upcoming flood of SOCOM goodness.”  So stick it right here for the latest news in SOCOM 4 single and mulitplayer news.  For now, check out the brand new multiplayer trailer (embedded after the break) called “Not For Self” and look in the gallery below for game stills.  And that’s some slick box art up there, huh?

[Via PlayStationBlog; Socom]

Continue reading SOCOM 4 ships April 19, new multiplayer trailer and game stills enclosed →

Discover new music: The Glitch Mob

Music, Video, , , , ,

So I was flipping through the channels the other day and was mesmerized by a commercial for a GoPro HD camera.  To be more specific, I was not so much attracted to the product being marketed but rather the song playing in the background.  After some swift investigation I discovered the song was called “Animus Vox” performed by The Glitch Mob.  I found a link to the full song on YouTube (it’s embedded above) and instantly I became a fan of the three-piece electronic group known as The Glitch Mob.

The LA-based group was formed back in 2006 and today consists of Ed Ma (AKA edIT), Justin Boreta (AKA Boreta), and Josh Mayer (AKA Ooah).  They’ve been touring around the country carrying along equipment that makes tracks like “Animus Vox” sound so very awesome–laptops (with Ableton Live loaded), MIDI controllers, electronic drums and keyboards.  In an interview with Electronic Musician, the band shared their synth-making process.  Ma: “A day of songwriting, like from scratch, would generally start with us loading up a basic kick and snare at a tempo that we wanted, and then laying down a very basic kick and snare as the backbone of what the rhythm would be like. And then we’d just play everything in. Synth parts, bass parts.” … “Essentially, all the songs [on new album Drink the Sea] were written to a point where they were almost like demo tapes. The first phase of our album was like a 10-track album that all sounded like it was made in [Apple] GarageBand. And then when we were done with those 10 songs, we’d go back and redesign the songs. And once the redesigning was done, we went back and we mixed the entire album. So kind of in this multistep stage.”  Transitioning their sound from live performances to recorded music was an important step in the process.  “Almost every melody that you hear on the album has been sampled note for note [for the live show]. That was the only way that we could get the actual sounds of the record to translate live,” shares Ma.  “We really tried to reproduce the record, note for note and percussion sound for percussion sound, as close as humanly possible.”  The result?  Electronic Musician describes Drink the Sea as “mainly [an] instrumental electronic effort that features heavily layered synths, mixed with real bass and guitar, and bolstered by bombastic, cinematic-sounding drums and simple, yet effective melodies.”

There are a ton of electronic groups out there, but The Glitch Mob definitely stands out on its own and is worth a listen; it’s hard not to get hooked to their masterful and sophisticated synths and beats.

Since 2006 they’ve released a number of mixtapes and remixes.  Last summer they dropped their first full-length album; Drink the Sea contains 10 tracks, including “Animus Vox.”  You can preview the entire album, as well as listen to a bunch of their other releases and download free content, at their official website.  While you’re there, be sure to check out their Video section which includes music video remixes and a smattering of live performances.  After the break, I’ve posted two of my favorites: an experimental live performance called “Beyond Monday” that features the band using their equipment and the Tron: Legacy trailer infused with “Animus Vox.”

Continue reading Discover new music: The Glitch Mob →

This kid can rap…FAST

EXPERIENCE, Music, Video, , , , , , ,

This kid named George Watsky can rap.  He’s pretty incredible.  This might have turned into a viral hit (it’s currently at 3 million views and counting), but Watsky is no one-hit wonder.  He happens to be a professional performer and an extremely talented poet.  He was the 2006 Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion and was later featured on HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.  Jump after the break to watch him perform an epic poem about kids who stutter.

[Thanks, Rob M.] Continue reading This kid can rap…FAST →

The music video that takes you into the making of a music video

Design, Music, Video, , ,

META ALERT!  This visually splendid music video directed by Mathieu Wothke is unlike any other you’ve seen because it puts you into the director’s head and takes you on a journey through the process of making a music video. In other words, the music video gets put together in the music video.  Have you given you a headache yet?  Just watch the video and you’ll see what I mean.

Oh, right.  The song is “Very Busy People” by The Limousines but in honesty you’re watching for the behind-the-scenes magic, not the music itself.  Unless of course this is your cup of tea…

[Via Gizmodo]

How the lamp got its groove back

Design, Images, Video, , ,

Rhythm of Light, a psychedelic lamp created by Dutch designer Susanne de Graef, is made up of five concentric aluminum rings with hundreds of multicolored strings attached.  These strings, which are threaded throughout the lamp and are spaced slightly apart from one another, move up and down since there’s a counterweight that hangs at the bottom.  Says de Graef, “Light is movement, it has its own rhythm. I designed a lamp with its own rhythm. The user decides the rhythm of the lamp by moving the lamp up and down, the layers mingle, the light gets diffused and the layers turn into a game of colours.”  The strings represent the properties of light, and the lamp taken as a whole comments on the cyclical rhythm of time.  Neat-o.  Pictures below, video after the break.

[Via Gizmodo; DesignBoom]

Continue reading How the lamp got its groove back →

BBC presents another fascinating look at our world with ‘Human Planet’

Television, Video, , , , , ,

After examining our world’s oceans in The Blue Planet (2001) and the intricacies of nature in Planet Earth (2006), BBC is preparing to unveil its next big documentary that “marvels at mankind’s incredible relationship with nature in the world today.”  It’s called Human Planet.

Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth. Each episode takes you to the extremes of our planet: the arctic, mountains, oceans, jungles, grasslands, deserts, rivers and even the urban jungle. Here you will meet people who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural world.

The production crew behind the upcoming doc filmed in around 80 locations using state-of-the-art HD cameras.  So you can expect the visuals to be stunningly beautiful, but isn’t that the norm for BBC/Discovery documentary series?

Human Planet will air in eight parts.  It began broadcasing January 13 on BBC One in the UK and an international release will follow shortly after the series ends there.  Watch the trailer for it above, and look after the break for two more sneak peeks.

[Via Gizmodo] Continue reading BBC presents another fascinating look at our world with ‘Human Planet’ →

Duke Nukem Forever gets a trailer and release date: May 3, 2011

Technology, Video, , , , , ,

If you’re a Duke Nukem fan, you’ve been waiting for this news for quite some time.  Over a decade long to be exact.  Duke Nukem Forever, the sequel to 1996’s Duke Nukem 3D, releases May 3, 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.  In addition to revealing the release date, game developer Gearbox Software rolled out this tongue-in-cheek trailer and it includes some radical game footage.  The sheer amount of nudity and expletives alone has got me amped for the Duke’s return.  The gameplay looks slick, too.

[Via Joystiq]

‘Fringe’ returns tonight at 9PM on FOX [Update: Solid ratings!]

Images, News, Television, Video, , , , , , ,

Great Scott!  Fringe returns tonight with a brand new episode.  In “The Firefly” Christopher Lloyd (Back from the Future) guest stars as Roscoe Joyce, an 80s keyboardist who happens to have many bizarre connections with Walter.  If you’re a long-time Fringe fan, I have no doubt you’ll be following it to its new night.  If you’re a newcomer to the epic sci-fi series, do not hesitate in giving it a shot.  If you’re a supporter of good TV, join the fun and let’s keep this show chugging for many years to come.  If the show retains its Thursday night ratings and manages to attract some new viewers, the Friday night “death slot” can be reinvented.  Let’s do it!

Look in the gallery below to see stills from tonight’s episode, and jump after the break to watch a FOX-produced Fringe music video that nicely summarizes what’s been going on lately and another video featuring the producers talking about the big move.  Fringe Fridays does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Update: Last night’s Fringe drew a 1.9/6 in the coveted adults 18-49 demo making it the highest rated program of the night!  And everyone was worried that the move to Friday nights was going to be a bad thing.  Get this: Fringe was up 12% from its last original airing on Thursday December 9, attracting 4.83 million viewers.  Simply put, the show attracted more viewers than it did when it aired on Thursday.  Death slot, be gone!  With the season premiere of Kitchen Nightmares as a lead-in, both shows helped FOX win the night and give the network its highest-rated Friday since May 2008.  If Fringe can keep this up for the next few weeks, we can surely expect to hear news of renewal soon.  But here’s the thing: Fringe was up against back-to-back repeats of CBS’ CSI: NY; the competition is bound to get more intense when CBS and The CW (Supernatural) air new episodes next week. (Oh, and this was neat: Christopher Lloyd’s stellar performance added his name to Twitter’s list of Trending Topics during and after the east coast airing of “The Firefly.”)

Update 2: Things just keep getting better for Fringe!  According to Nielsen, the show gained an additional 42 percent in ratings thanks to DVR playback.  This information was gathered three days after the live airing of the Friday episode.  As reported above, “The Firefly” drew a 1.9 rating in the adults 18-49 demo; if you add the DVR spike in viewership that rating shoots up to a 2.7!  (Compare this number to CBS’ Blue Bloods which drew a 2.4 rating on the same night.)  This is fantastic news for Fringe fans; if the show can keep this up (and perhaps perform better) it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

[Via TVLine; IGN; Deadline; EW]

Continue reading ‘Fringe’ returns tonight at 9PM on FOX [Update: Solid ratings!] →

TV Reminder: ‘Parks & Recreation’ returns tonight at 9:30PM on NBC

Hilarity, Images, Television, Video, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finally, finally!  The Pawnee gang led by the one and only Leslie Knope returns tonight!  In the season 3 premiere “Go Big or Go Home” Leslie is trying to convince newcomers Chris and Ben (Rob Lowe and Adam Scott) to give the Parks Department more money.  Prepare for the premiere by watching this informative and hilarious preview, and look in the gallery below for character profiles.

BONUS! Hop after the break to watch Rob Lowe flip out at the cast of Parks and Rec, presented by Funny or Die. NSFW warning is in full effect (language).

Update: Parks and Rec hit a series-high rating–6.2 million people tuned into the season 3 premiere.  That’s up 52% from its fall season premiere in 2009.  The Office lead-in helped; Parks retained 71% of its viewers.

[Images via IGN; Deadline; TVLine]

Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘Parks & Recreation’ returns tonight at 9:30PM on NBC →

Nintendo 3DS launch details: coming March 27 for $249

Images, News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime took the stage in New York City to discuss the Nintendo 3DS launch details we’ve been waiting for.  The 3D-enabled DS handheld will release on March 27 in the US for $249.99.  It will come in two color variants: Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue.  Ninty promises that over 30 3DS games will be available during the launch window (that is, between the March 27 and the E3 Expo in early June).  These include a mix of first and third party games.  Though Nintendo did not specify a solid list of launch titles, the press release mentions the following games: Pilotwings Resort, which has players soaring acrobatically over iconic Wuhu Island; nintendogs + cats, a new version of the Nintendo DS classic with a feline enhancement; and Steel Diver, a side-scrolling submarine adventure that gives the illusion that the player is peering into an aquarium.  The ones you really want to play like the 3D versions of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario, plus the return of fan favorite Kid Icarus in Kid Icarus: Uprising are simply “in the works” with no release dates attached just yet.  Some third party games mentioned at the event include Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (Capcom), Madden NFL Football (EA), and LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (LucasArts), but again no release dates were specified.

So that pretty much does it for launch details.  However, in addition to announcing price, release date, and games support, Fils-Aime took time to talk about the 3DS’ hardware and expand upon the some of the pre-installed software.  Like its DS predessors, the 3DS packs two screens; the bottom one’s touch-sensitive and the top one’s 3D-enabled (no pesky glasses required).  A 3D Depth Slider can be used to manipulate the 3D effect during gameplay; the slider can turn off the 3D effect entirely and all 3DS games can be played in traditional 2D.  In addition to the D-Pad, a new Circle Pad provides a full 360 degrees of direction and allows for a higher level of precision during gameplay.  The 3DS also packs built-in motion and gyro sensors, so it can react to the motion and tilt of the system.  You’ll also find three camera built into this thing; one on the inside (facing you during gameplay) and two on the outside.  Combined the latter two can capture 3D pictures and you can view them on the top 3D display.  Other hardware notables: the 3DS comes bundled with an adjustable stylus (for use on the bottom touch-sensitive display), a 2GB SD memory card, and a charging cradle.

The Home Menu is where all your apps live.  Mii Maker is just what it sounds like and works similarly to how Miis are created on the Wii.  The difference here is that the Mii Maker will ask you to take a photo of yourself and the software will try its best to convert your real-life features into a Mii avatar.  If the conversion doesn’t sit well with you, manual customization options are available to fiddle with to make things right.  You also have the ability to import your Mii avatar from your Wii console by way of SD card transfer.  The augmented reality-based game Face Raiders lets you take pictures of your friends and turn them into shooting targets.  It’s a simple game that highlights the built-in gyro sensor since it requires you to physically lean and turn to search around for the targets and aim high and low to hit them.  AR Games works similarly, but they take advantage of the pack of AR cards that come bundled with the system.  All you have to do is place one of the AR cards onto a flat surface, point the outward facing 3DS camera at it, and targets come to life.  Animations are superimposed into the scene; so for example if you place a card on your kitchen table the backdrop for the targets will be the kitchen table (that’s augmented reality gaming in a nutshell).  The Activity Log tracks both your gameplay activity, much like the Wii Calender does automatically.  It notes which games you’ve played and how long you’ve played them, as well as your physical activity, counting every step you take while carrying your Nintendo 3DS.  Even when the system’s in sleep mode, it acts as a pedometer and tracks the distances you travel; the more you walk the more Play Coins you will earn.  These coins can then be used to purchase in-game bonus content, if the game’s developer decides to support it.  The Nintendo eShop offers access to downloadable games.  In addition to DSiWare games, Virtual Console games pulled from the Game Boy and Game Boy Color catalogs will be available to download.  Game videos, screenshots, demos, and ratings will also be browsable here.  Titles can be purchased with either a credit card or prepaid cards.  Other software notables: StreetPass Mii Plaza (more on this below), Internet Browser, Camera app (capture and view 3D pictures), Video app (watch 3D content), Sound app (listen to music in MP3 or AAC format from the SD card, plus record and play with sounds using the 3DS’ built-in mic); oh, and the 3DS is backwards compatible with all Nintendo DS games.

Fils-Aime mentioned that the 3DS is Nintendo’s most connected video games console ever made, and he’s not lying.  First let’s get this awesome update out of the way: friend codes are no longer specific to each game you buy, there is only one code and it’s attached to your 3DS.  Once you swap friend codes with someone, they will remain on your friend list and you can always check their online status no matter what game you’ve got running.  Now to some fun new features: StreetPass and SpotPass.  StreetPass is capable of exchanging game information with other Nintendo 3DS systems as owners pass one another.  An example of StreetPass functionality is the aptly titled StreetPass Mii Plaza.  Much like its Wii counterpart, the 3DS’ Mii Plaza will congregate your Mii avatar with all the other 3DS owners you happen to pass by, say, on the street (and your avatar will jump onto the 3DS of the person you pass).  In addition to sharing your avatar, other information can be exchanged over StreetPass including maps for games, high scores, and custom character data for different games.  This might be obvious but it’s worth pointing out–if you don’t want any information to exchange on the fly (because all this can happen while the 3DS is in sleep mode tucked away in your pocket) you can disable the StreetPass function.  Next up is SpotPass and this essentially connects to 3DS up to public or private at-home WiFi hotspots.  Once connected, the system can receive new content and updates even when it’s in sleep mode or charging.

Peer in the gallery below to get a closer look at the 3DS hardware, and look after the break to watch the 3DS virtual tour and catch a sneak peek at the software launch lineup.  Also, don’t forget to check out my hands-on preview of the 3DS from E3.

[Via Nintendo]

1 2

Continue reading Nintendo 3DS launch details: coming March 27 for $249 →