Think you’re good at Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? Google dares you to challenge its search engine. All you have to do is type an actor’s name and then “bacon number” (without the quotes) and the all-knowing box spits out the answer.
I even tried non-American actors and it still wasn’t fazed. Attempting to introduce a loop won’t make it hang either:
As if YouTube wasn’t enough of a time sink already. Thanks Google.
[via GearCrave]
Adding to the fun and games already hidden within its search box, Google’s new not-so-secret addition gives you a quick way to calculate exactly how many degrees your favorite (or most obscure) actor falls from Kevin Bacon. Sure, it may take half the debate out of it, but at least the definitive answers are now out there — just type in “bacon number” followed by your thespian of choice.
Filed under: Internet
Google adds ‘Bacon Number’ easter egg to its search engine originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Starting this evening, Raiders of the Lost Ark returns to theaters for a brief week long engagement. But not just any theater. Doctor Jones is hitting the biggest screen possible—IMAX—as part of the promotion for the upcoming Indiana Jones trilogy release on Blu-ray. More »
Fans of digital media have a reason to smile today, as Fox has revealed that it will begin offering digital versions of its movies weeks before physical Blu-ray and DVDs release. The first movie that will getting this treatment is Prometheus, which is scheduled to release on Blu-ray and DVD on October 11. Fox will begin offering the high-definition digital version of the movie on September 18, giving those who don’t mind losing the disc about a three week jump on those who do mind.
Even better is the fact that these digital movies will be offered for less than current going rate for movies. Fox plans to offer its digital flicks for around $15 a pop, down from the $20 that consumers normally pay. The company will offering these movies with “Digital High Definition” or “DHD” branding, and this new initiative marks a team up between Fox and UltraViolet, a digital streaming service that Fox has been hesitant to partner with in the past.
Fox needs to tread carefully here, however. The company has tried to offer early digital copies in the past and failed to succeed for a number of reasons. Not only did Fox offer these earlier releases at a premium, charging as much as $30 per movie, but it also released these digital copies only two months after the movies premiered in theaters. Obviously, that didn’t sit too well with theater owners, so this time around, we’re seeing Fox take a much less aggressive approach to offering digital content early. Everyone should be happy with this new plan, as Fox says that most of the movies it offers early will be out of theaters by the time they become available digitally.
This new initiative will launch in 50 countries around the world simultaneously, and even though Prometheus is the only film with a solid digital release date at the moment, we’re told to expect other Fox films such as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Watch, and Ice Age: Continental Drift to follow suit. If Fox does this right, it could help grow the digital movies market, which is already on the rise but still quite small when compared to the boxed movies market. Stay tuned, because this could get interesting.
[via The New York Times]
Fox will offer digital movies weeks before DVD release is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
So, Amazon doesn’t exactly highlight this, but all of its Kindle Fires are Androids on the inside. Amazon slaps a heavy skin on top, so it’s not at all recognizable, but it’s Android all the same. Great, so you get access to all of the Android apps, right? Not exactly. More »
The New York Times is reporting that 20th Cenutry Fox is going to offer high-quality movie downloads weeks ahead of Blu-ray release using the DRM locker service UltraViolet. Costing around $15 a pop, it’s planning to start with the upcoming release of Prometheus. More »
Sky+ has been on a bit of a tear refreshing its set-top boxes, and it’s not about to stop now. When ready, a new update for the satellite TV provider’s devices will let you undelete recorded programs; deleted shows are now moved to a separate space and only removed permanently either through age or if you really, really don’t want to watch. If you’re more interested in watching content that’s always available, both Anytime and Anytime+ will be rebranded as On Demand, while the Sky Guide is adding a dedicated store tab for movie rentals. Catch Up TV is also nearing with the update and should aggregate the last week’s worth of shows from Sky in addition to BBC iPlayer, Demand 5 and ITV Player. The gotcha, as we know all too well from these kinds of firmware revisions, is the timing. You’ll have to have either a Sky+ HD 1TB box or the Sky+ HD DRX890 to get the upgrade early on, and Sky is staggering its deployment in a move that could leave some subscribers twiddling their thumbs.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Sky+ update allows undeleting recorded shows, more on-demand and future Catch Up TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
One of the features that lures people to purchase an Amazon Prime membership is the unlimited streaming via Prime Instant Video. The streaming service is available on the Kindle Fire, PS3, Xbox 360, iPad, and hundreds of other devices such as smart TVs. Amazon has announced a new agreement that brings even more video to the streaming service.
With the new agreement in place with Epix, Prime Instant Video now has over 25,000 movies and TV episodes. The new agreement between Amazon and Epix is a multi-year deal for the US that adds thousands of new releases, classic library titles, and original programs to the instant video offerings. Programming in the deal comes from Epix studio partners including Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, and Lionsgate.
According to Amazon, the agreement more than doubles the number of titles available in with Prime Instant Video since the launch of the Kindle Fire last September. The service also offers movies that can be purchased or rented in addition to the free streaming films and TV shows. The agreement will bring some of the best movies of the year two Amazon.
The movies include The Avengers, Iron Man 2, The Hunger Games, Thor, and many more. Back catalog titles included in the deal include Paranormal Activity 2, True Grit, The Lincoln Lawyer and lots more. I’ve actually got a lot more use out of my Prime membership than I ever expected to between free quick shipping and streaming video the yearly fee is actually not a bad deal.
Amazon and Epix seal Prime Instant Video streaming agreement is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Ever been tempted to rent a movie again, but thought the price was just a little too dear? Google may soon be willing to haggle a deal. One of its newly-granted patents could automatically lower the price of repurchase-friendly content, such as a Google Play Movies rental, depending on how likely you are to pull the trigger. Its algorithm weighs your personal tastes and repurchasing habits against those of your peers: if the code senses you’ll be relatively stingy, you’ll get a better discount. The analysis could even factor in the nature of the content itself. A thoughtful movie, ownership of the soundtrack or just a lot of related searches could lead to a repurchase at the usual price, while a simple action flick with no previous interest may bring the discount into effect. We don’t know if Google will offer these extra-personal discounts to the public at any point in the future, but if you suddenly notice a lot of follow-up bargains in Google Play, you’ll know how they came to be.
Filed under: Internet
Google patents buyer-specific price drops for follow-up sales, can tell if you’re a cheapskate originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Thanks to a deal struck with Epix, Amazon Prime is now home to a crop of new releases available now (and in the near future), including The Hunger Games, Thor, The Avengers, and Super 8, along with Iron Man 2 and True Grit. That brings Amazon Prime’s catalog up to 25,000 streaming selections in all (if you count TV episodes individually). Why not start watching now? [Amazon] More »
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