Popping bubble wrap is like a compulsive childhood addiction that never goes away, at least for some of us. You’ll have to fight that temptation when you see Bradley Hart’s artwork, which is made with thousands of paint-injected bubbles to create photorealistic mosaics. For all of you bubble wrap junkies, Hands Off!
This week the folks at Mad Catz have made it clear that they’ll be joining the Android In The Living Room fad with a gaming console known as Project MOJO. This device will take on a form not unlike the gaming console known as OUYA and will also be going into competition with the BlueStacks
Amazon has launched Amazon Storyteller, a tool to automatically create visualizations of screenplays so that they can be more readily pitched. The somewhat self-serving beta at Amazon Studios promises to analyze the scenes, locations, and characters in a script and then fashion a storyboard itself, which can then be tweaked by the author. Amazon Storyteller
If Microsoft’s unveil event for the Xbox One last month didn’t give you the clue that the company is focused on non-game entertainment for their new console, then maybe this will make you understand. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reportedly went to Hollywood in order to get studios excited about the Xbox One, with the goal
Though it seems like a bit of a strange headline to lead with, it would appear that VUDU’s upgrade of their Disc to Digital software from Beta to full-fledged release may have hit a hiccup. That shouldn’t be too much of deterrent from users working with this system, on the other hand, as the details remain the same: conversion of your DVD and Blu-ray disks into digital editions accessible from wherever you’ve got an internet connection. For a fee, of course.
This service allows users to convert the video from their already owned disks into SD or HD formats for $2.00 apiece or $5.00 if they’re HD DVD. SD from DVDs costs the standard $2, as does the only format available for Blu-ray disks, HD. This system works with the UltraViolet video system so users will be able to watch on devices such as Roku, PlayStation 3 (and 4, we must assume), tablets, smartphones, Xbox 360 (and 720, more than likely), as well as your connected TV – and through the web, of course.
This system is currently working with mostly streaming services, allowing VUDU apps to stream via the web, but also with updates to iOS and Android in recent months making offline downloading a reality as well.
So what you’ve got here is a system where you put your DVD or Blu-ray into your computer, hit the “go” button, and allow this system to scan it. Once it’s scanned, you’ll have a virtual copy of that disk anywhere you can access VUDU’s webpage and/or app. This system uses Gracenote technology to recognize the contents of the disk and UltraViolet for video in cloud web storage.
UPDATE: The system has now left Beta for real – make with the converting!
This system will immediately (if not soon) be working on both Windows and Mac OS X machines and requires an internet connection as well as a DVD / Blu-ray drive to scan.
VUDU Disc to Digital meant to leave Beta today [UPDATE] is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This week the folks responsible for promoting the upcoming film Pacific Rim have done a bit of spilling from behind the scenes as well as right up in front of the cameras. What you’re about to see is this film’s essence, with several characters wearing futuristic space suits doing battle with monster beasts from the sea. This upcoming film event is being directed by Guillermo del Toro and will appearing in both 2D and 3D as soon as July 12th.
The movie will be rated PG-13, which is a bummer for those of you wishing to see Dredd-style massacres, beast style, but the action within should settle stomaches nonetheless. The images pushed today show Halo-style suits, mech battles, and machines so big they could pinch a helicopter.
While it’s obvious this movie won’t be entirely serious – we’re talking about massive Japanese creatures from the ocean, after all – it’s sure to be a hoot. In one image you’ll see some Sin City-style mixes of comic-style environment with live-action humans in the center, while in another shows lightening cracking from the sky when the first whale-beast approaches.
This film is coming in with a plot that’s about as thick as the budget is sure to be, starting with a war with “legions” of monsters called Kaiju rising from the sea and the humans meant to protect us fighting them off with tower-sized robots called Jaegers.
With a completely strange combination of actors from Charlie Day (from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) to Ron Perlman and back to Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuchi, there’s more than a little chance that this film will be a cult classic. This film is being released by Warner Bros. Pictures and will be coming to 2D, 3D, and IMAX theaters near you.
VIA: Coming Soon
SOURCE: Variety
Geillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” movie gets monster Kaiju teaser gallery is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The Hulu Plus living room experience has had a user interface update today, bringing Hulu’s Seattle-born vision for non-desktop streaming video to various devices. This update has brought on a new vision for the streaming video platform, now working with in-app Hulu Plus signup, Hulu Kids – an extension of the Hulu Kids child-friendly selection of programs available to web-based users, and simplified controls all-around.
The updated Hulu Plus living room user interface will be working with – most obviously – larger and easier to digest artwork for each media bit and piece. Easier navigation is provided through this enhancement as well as through a system called Trays. With Hulu Plus’ new Tray-style format, users will be able to scroll through selections with much greater ease that the slightly more convoluted system presented in past iterations of the software.
Search functionality has been enhanced in this latest update, this interface simplified once again to add to the overall easier top-to-bottom refurbishing of the user interface. Search now shows results directly beneath the search where before they were – again – not part of as smooth an experience.
This update comes right on the tail of an announcement by Fanivision of a device by the name of Fan TV. This machine will quite likely be featuring Hulu Plus by the time it is released in the future – release date remains unknown at the moment.
The Hulu Plus living room experience update is on its way first to Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players, inclusive of 2012 and 2013 models of Samsung Smart TVs and a select number of Blu-ray players from their recent collection. Roku will also be seeing this update starting today, while the Nintendo Wii will have to wait – soon, and very soon!
SOURCE: Hulu
Hulu Plus living room experience update hits Samsung and Roku first, Wii second is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The company that’s bringing Fan TV to the market is not a new one. It’s not necessarily an old one, either: still considered a “startup” as they released their “Fanhattan” app back in 2011, they’ve since moved this streaming video environment to the web and now – surprise – to the television as well. While the machine itself does not yet have a price point or a release date as such, co-founder of Fanhattan Gilles BianRosa spoke up this afternoon: they mean to take over.
The device known as Fan TV, developed and manufactured by Fanhattan, builds on the success of the web and iOS-based Fanhattan collections of video sources. Inside users will also find live TV, on-demand TV, a “cloud-based DVR”, and streaming services galore. Then there’s the remote.
While the rest of the world – for the most part – still works with keyboards and multiple physical buttons to control any display, Fan TV uses a single palm-resting touchpad. Designed to work without having to see anything but the display it’s controlling, this pad is also designed with its physical aesthetic in mind – it looks like an upside-down version of the Fan TV main unit.
This system works with multiple services, and will work with more by the time it launches. Though the actual device has not yet been tied to any services, but having a peek at those connected with the iOS and Web Fanhattan user interfaces should give some rather healthy clues. It’s expected that RedBox Instant, Netflix, and Hulu Plus will continue to be partners with the effort when this device launches – whenever that ends up being.
BONUS: Fan TV works with Kabletown! According to Fan TV: “Yes, we know Kabletown isn’t real, but we love Liz Lemon. Product images represent the vision of where we’re headed and are not indicative of final partnerships.”
Fan TV aims for set-top future with all-touch interface is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Having a large amount of furniture around for that occasional big bash is not all that feasible. It takes up a lot of room and requires a lot of moving back and forth. And if you want to change venues and have your party or reception at the beach or in a park it can become almost unmanageable — that is unless you have an AirLounge XL inflatable lounger by Bench 7.
Apple is all about the music today, with the new 16GB iPod touch, word of 100m iPod touch selling since 2007, and now details of the upcoming iTunes Festival 2013. First held in 2007, the 2013 show marks the festival’s seventh outing, with acts including Justin Timberlake and Jack Johnson set to appear, while the tickets are handed out as iTunes prizes.
In the UK, there’ll be two primary ways to get tickets: either through the new iTunes Festival app, or through the iTunes Store. However, there’ll also be tickets distributed through various other routes, such as free daily newspaper the Metro, and TV station Channel 4.
It’s not UK-only, however, even though the iTunes Festival is being held in London. There’ll be tickets up for grabs in the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, mainland Europe, Japan, and Mexico, though different countries will distribute entry passes in different ways.
However, Apple will also be streaming the daily concerts – one every day for all 30 days of September – via the Apple TV, along with to iOS devices, both live and as on-demand performances after the events have taken place.
The full line-up is yet to be confirmed, but along with Timberlake and Johnson there’ll be shows from Queens of the Stone Age, Phoenix, and Thirty Seconds to Mars. Jake Bugg, Primal Scream, and Jessie J have also been inked in.
Apple kicks off iTunes Festival 2013 with new app: Streaming promised is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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