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Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 9, 2013 in Science 
Congratulations, science! Nuclear fusion has always had an issue managing to create more energy than was put into it. You need to compress two lighter nuclei into one heavy nucleus, a change in mass that creates a lot of energy, but requires a lot of energy to make happen. But the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the US has managed to compress hydrogen to the point of nuclear fusion at 3.3 million Kelvin (5.9 million degrees Fahrenheit). And for the first time, the energy released in the reaction exceeded the amount of fuel that went into powering the world’s most powerful laser rig and its 192 beams. Read more…
Tags: nuclear fusion
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 9, 2013 in Cinema 
I’m still hopeful for Pacific Rim 2 to be officially green-lit, considering how much fun the original film was. But in the meantime, Pacific Rim is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray on October 15. Among the bonus features is this gag reel, showing actors flubbing lines, cracking jokes, and just generally clowning around. It looks like it was a lot of fun to be on Guillermo del Toro’s set, and it’s also interesting to see which parts of scenes were green-screened in. Plus, Ron Perlman is awesome as usual. Watch for yourself below if you can’t wait until next week! Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, Pacific Rim, Robots
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 8, 2013 in Videogames 
Yacht Club Games’ first release, Shovel Knight, is due out later this year. The game is coming out on PC, 3DS, and Wii U (all digital releases), and Nintendo is showing up at Indiecade, so there’s a new trailer to build up more hype for the game in a crowded holiday season. If you haven’t gotten a good look at the game before, watch the trailer and marvel at the NES+ style pixel art and fun, old-school gameplay. If you’re a fan of retro indie games, this one should be on your list! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Indie Games, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 8, 2013 in Television 
If there was to be a Breaking Bad game, you’d probably imagine some Grand Theft Auto-style criminal venture. But people love putting the just-finished television series into other types of games. Vulture imagined the show as a text adventure in the style of Zork, published by Infocom in 1980. (The header picture is unrelated to the game, but funny.) While Walt is not likely to be eaten by a grue, it’s a funny take on some memorable scenes, though it would have been even cooler if you could play the game. Check out the examples below!
Source: Vulture
Tags: Zork
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 7, 2013 in Uncategorized 
Big Lazy Robot, a VFX company with something to prove, has put together a seriously impressive 3-minute spec trailer for their fictitious movie, Keloid (released a week ago). Featuring lumbering police robots, armies, and limber mannequin-bots, the short has a gritty, realistic feel to it. They also leave plenty of things vague about the story — which robots are fighting for who? Are the humans losing as badly as it seems? The team made this video over a period of a year and it has paid off: IAM Entertainment and Vertigo Entertainment have already teamed up to look into making it into a feature film. Check out the short and see what you think! Read more…
Tags: keloid, Sci-Fi, Short Films
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 7, 2013 in Animation 
A new Toy Story short is premiering soon, and it’s Halloween-themed, too! Toy Story of TERROR! (yes, all caps) will be showing on ABC on October 16th, 8pm EST, 7 central. If you’re a Toy Story fan this definitely looks to be a fun little diversion, bringing along several characters from the third film and apparently a new toy. I know some fans would rather just have another Toy Story film, but I actually prefer this. The trilogy is over, let it be. If you really want to continue things, these shorts are an easy and enjoyable way of seeing the toys again. Check out the clip below. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Toy Story
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 6, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections 
LEGO has done a great job with their modular series. It’s a series of sets that all fit together as a city street, allowing you to mix and match each modular as you wish to form your town. The latest addition? A Parisian Restaurant! It’s got a lot of really cool colors and unique pieces, along with enough details to satisfy the most advanced builder. I love the kitchen inside, as well as the brickwork on the chimney. You get five minifigures in the set too, and a LEGO Vespa scooter. Just the detail needed! This set will be running for $159.99 and will come out in January 2014. More images and a video of it below! Read more…
Tags: Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 6, 2013 in Tech 
There’s a great, lengthy article from The New York Times which goes deep into the process behind creating the original iPhone. There have long been stories of Steve Jobs’ overbearing, intense style of management, and this is perhaps the greatest example of this. Both as a fault, and as his touch of genius, pushing people to do the “impossible.” It goes into details about how he wanted staff to sleep in the booth before a presentation so nothing gets leaked, or how software developers never saw the phone’s true hardware until the last minute. It’s a crazy story and I hope that we hear even more details about how these amazing devices came about in the future. Read more…
Tags: iPhone, long reads
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 5, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Oops! Samuel L. Jackson let some news about Avengers: Age of Ultron slip a little early. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, he casually mentioned that he’s excited to be working with James Spader (Ultron) and Elizabeth Olsen. The only thing is, Elizabeth Olsen hadn’t been announced for Avengers yet. So I guess now we know who Scarlet Witch is! She should be a good choice for the role. In related news, Latino Review is reporting that according to their sources, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is signing on for Quicksilver. If that’s true, then we might just have everyone cast for the next Avengers! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 5, 2013 in Animation 
Yup, you read right! Guillermo Del Toro directed the opening couch gag for Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror XXIV. It’s definitely a bit more than just a couch gag, featuring just about every movie monster ever and several references to Del Toro’s own filmography. Yes, there is a Pacific Rim nod. Yes, there is a Pan’s Labyrinth nod. And yes, there is a clever joke about the older, traditional animation of classic Simpsons episodes. It’s kind of awesome how cool the crew at FOX are with making direct fun of the decline of Simpsons. You might remember the Banksy opening also did plenty of that, too. But enough talk! Check out the video below! Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, The Simpsons
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 4, 2013 in Videogames 
A recent interview with Eiji Aonuma, the current producer of the Zelda series, offered up some interesting tidbits about the next game. Mainly, he stated “why does it have to be traditional?” He says they’re learning a lot from Wind Waker HD and and putting it to use in the next Wii U Zelda game, making things much more unique than previous Zeldas. Perhaps most interestingly he stated that he wants to make the next Zelda something so different that it “wouldn’t even matter if Zelda is actually a princess, or not.” I could go for an awesome Zelda game with Zelda as the main character, Aonuma! Make it so! Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 4, 2013 in Television 
Get ready Sherlock fans, because your desk or shelf space is about to get much, much cooler. Big Chief has revealed the first images of their Sherlock figures, and what a surprise: the two figures are Sherlock and Watson. Now you can finally own Benedict Cumberbatch in plastic form. Who cares about Martin Freeman though? He’s already got figures from The Hobbit. He’s already got it made. If you want these figures for your collection, be prepared for high price. Pre-orders will start in August, so go here to sign up for an email notification of when they go live. Or just live on the edge and refresh their homepage constantly, hoping to see it whenever it goes up. Read more…
Tags: Sherlock Holmes
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 3, 2013 in Anime, Videogames 
Nintendo already announced that Charizard (and fellow Kanto starters Blastoise and Venusaur) would have new Mega Evolutions in Pokemon X & Y. But did you know that Charizard would get two Mega Evolutions? Like Mewtwo’s new Mega Evolutions, there will be a different item each in X & Y, with the one we saw before going by the name Mega Charizard Y. That new one up above is Mega Charizard X, which just debuted in Japan in Pokemon Origins, an anime special based on the original Pokemon games. Unlike the Fire/Flying Charizard, its type is (finally) Fire/Dragon. Even though it’s not a flying type, it seems that it gets the benefit of the doubt and can keep flying due to the fact that it starts the battle flying as regular Charizard. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 3, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
I’m still having a bit of a hard time believing that Ant-Man is actually becoming a movie (set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). I admittedly haven’t ever read any Ant-Man comics, but I know the concept of the character and some story beats through the years, and it seems like a weird choice to follow up The Avengers: Age of Ultron from a mass-market perspective. But god dammit, I’m happy that something comparatively smaller and weirder can be made into a big movie in this day and age! And because Edgar Wright is directing it, it has my attention. Wright even tweeted this picture to show that, yes, his long-in-production movie is finally filming, making this the first picture from the set. Read more…
Tags: ant-man, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 2, 2013 in Videogames 
During the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed a new Kirby game coming to 3DS in 2014. The visuals look colorful and bright, and the core gameplay is typical Kirby. What’s most interesting about this installment is the two different levels of platforming. One track is closer to the camera, while the other is farther away in the background. Kirby can hop between the two, presumably to avoid obstacles or look for secrets. A few other games have done this, but not many, so it’s still novel. Plus, it seems like a good way to use the 3D capabilities of the system, which range from unnecessary visual enhancement (most 3DS games) to actual gameplay help (Super Mario 3D Land). Hopefully it’s more of the latter! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Kirby, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 2, 2013 in Cinema 
Benedict Cumberbatch is hot right now, and with good reason: he’s a fantastic actor, he’s got a great voice, he’s appearing in great productions like Sherlock, and his name is so charmingly British. I’ve been waiting to hear how he would sound as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second Hobbit film due out on December 13. Sure, the Hobbit films seem really padded out and the CGI isn’t as endearing as the camera tricks Peter Jackson used in The Lord of the Rings. But Benedict Cumberbatch is a sly dragon, and that’s all I need. I hope the actual shots of Smaug are limited, but knowing how much additional content needed to be put in to make The Hobbit into three three-hour films, I have a feeling he’ll practically be dancing in front of the camera. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 1, 2013 in Dr. Who, Television 
The Weeping Angels were once scary monsters, debuting in one of the new Doctor Who series’ stand-out episodes, “Blink.” Since then, what might have been a great one-shot monster has been used two more times, culminating in a ridiculous episode where the Statue of Liberty turns out to be a Weeping Angel. Perhaps wisely, Stephen Moffat has chosen to step away from the monsters, saying “I’m probably done to be honest on what you can do with the Weeping Angels. But other writers have to have a go…” Read more…
Tags: Doctor Who
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 1, 2013 in Cinema, Star Trek 
J.J. Abrams often gets mocked for how much lens flare he put into Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. But while comments about the lens flares in his reboot movie didn’t make him stop using them in the recent sequel, he says that he was actually being more conscious of how they affected the film. In fact, he claims that he actually reduced the lens flare! Read more…
Tags: J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Into Darkness
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 30, 2013 in Animation 
Every once in a while a music video comes out that actually does something cool. I also have a soft spot for animated music videos, so C2C‘s latest music video for their song “Delta” is right up my alley. It’s got a great visual style that reminds me of the art of Genndy Tartakovsky mixed with a more orange sci-fi tint. If only more bands would do this! I’m still hoping for someone else to do their own Interstella 5555 for a new age. But for now, this is a wonderful piece. It also is one giant metaphor. See if you can figure it out — it’s pretty clear. Great job CRCR! Watch the video below. Read more…
Tags: music videos
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 30, 2013 in Cinema 
Elysium opened to moderate interest and reviews, but it didn’t seem to really capture audiences the way District 9 did. Still Neill Blomkamp is unhindered, and is moving forward with another sci-fi story, and he’s back to filming in Johannesburg. Blomkamp says his next movie, Chappie, will be a “comedy” and a “heartfelt story” about a robot police officer (voiced by Sharlto Copley — who else?) who is kidnapped by two gangsters (Ninja and Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord) in South Africa. And just recently announced, Hugh Jackman (a CEO) will also get involved as well. I can appreciate that Blomkamp is trying something different for his next film, and also hope that this odd premise pays off. Read more…
Tags: Chappie, neill blomkamp
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 29, 2013 in Cinema 
Gravity will finally arrive on October 4th, and I want you all to go see it. Alfonso Cuaron’s latest has been getting rave reviews everywhere but it seems Warner Bros. is worried that people might not be into it, as they’re releasing clip after clip for the movie. Well, I hope we all prove them wrong and the turnout is solid, if not great. I really appreciate the dedication to realism, like the lack of sound in space, which is demonstrated in this clip here. Sandra Bullock’s character, Dr. Ryan Stone is on her first space mission and is attempting a repair when things go very wrong. Get ready, it’s going to be intense! Read more…
Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 29, 2013 in Science 
We’ve seen some huge strides in artificial limbs in the past few years, and we’ve blogged about them before, too. Here’s the latest one, a bionic leg for Zac Vawter, who lost most of his right leg in motorcycle accident in 2009. Now, he’s the first tester for an incredibly impressive bionic leg that is hooked up to the nerves in his leg. Now, he can walk almost as well as before the accident. I’m really excited to see the advancement in this tech, and I hope more people will support this kind of work. It’s groundbreaking stuff! Read more…
Tags: Bionics
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections 
I’ve seen starship comparisons before, but nothing quite this comprehensive: DeviantArt user DirkLoechel put together an absolutely massive chart of almost every starship out there. Star Wars? Of course. Star Trek? Obviously. Warhammer 40000? Eve? Wall-E? Yes, yes, and yes. It’s really neat to see each each side-by-side, so you can really start to get a sense of scale (something that’s usually pretty difficult to get a handle on in space). Now pick your favorite ship and try to hunt it down the high-res version, included below. Read more…
Tags: Sci-Fi, spaceships
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 28, 2013 in Videogames 
Weird is definitely the way to describe this. But, it could be the good kind of weird? As their final announcement, Valve has revealed their controller for the Steam Machines: the Steam Controller. It features two circular touchpads in place of the usual two joysticks, with two clickable areas on each: one in the center, and one in the outer ring. It also has advanced haptic feedback inside under each trackpad, allowing for a great degree on control over the intensity, direction, and force of the vibration (presumably allowing you to feel some degree of “pushback” when moving your finger around). It also has the usual assortment of buttons, as well as two on the underside of the controller. And of course, a touchscreen. Valve has a lot going on here and these controllers will begin beta testing with the lucky 300 hardware beta participants this fall. Click here to enter. More images below! Read more…
Tags: Steam, Valve
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