Links of the Day

Futurama, Lego Style
If a fan of Futurama or Legos, really should check out the huge gallery of images of this re-creation of Futurama' New York. It has the major buildings, including Madison Cube Garden and the Planet Express. Also have the characters Lego style, the sewers and a lot more sweet details. (Via Gizmodo)

Larry King to Retire
It is official; Larry King is finally going to retire after 25 years on the air. The decision is likely one part simply being time since he is 76 years old, one part personal reasons since he is going through some family problems, one part pressure from CNN as his ratings or not only bad but skewed to an older non-advertising friendly demographic and finally because he simply isn't very good at it anymore. Better to go out before things sour to the point of no return, especially since all it takes is one mistake for the press to tarnish a long and legendary career (see Helen Thomas). No date on his last day was provided.

Hulu Plus Announced
It has been rumored for more than a year but now official. By fall Hulu will have a paid subscription of $10 per month and availability on most devices that you pretty much already find Netflix on including iPhone and iPad. The plus apparently brings access to more shows by giving access to all episodes of shows rather than just a select few or last six or so episodes like is the current practice. Of note is you will still be forced to watch the ads and I doubt that the episodes will become available any quicker than they do now after broadcast.

Links of the Day

iPhone 4, Apple Against Left Handed People
It seems that the new iPhone has a left handed person bias. The phone antenna is around the outside of the device to increase signal strength and overcome some of the inherent problems that are associated with AT&T. It seems a side effect of that design is if you hold the phone in such a way as your skin contacts the bottom left hand corner (something common if type on device with right hand or just a lefty) then it will quickly lose its connectivity to AT&T. Now either this problem was not discovered or it explains why the new overpriced "bumber" case was released. Apple's official response to the news was a) you are holding it wrong and b) buy a case. So once again, buyer beware.

Links of the Day

100+ Pieces of Star Wars Concept Art
Hit the link for a huge gallery of images from the six Star Wars films and few video games that show how a lot of what is now iconic images were developed.

iPhone 4Gen Review
Apple has released the update 4.0 for the iPhone operating systems and now the 4th gen iPhone has started shipping to retail and those that pre-ordered online. Overall, the media remains in love with the phone calling it the best yet and worth the upgrade for most users. An unboxing video can be found here.

Complete Guide to iOS4
Click the link to get an overview of all the features the new 4.0 OS for the iPhone including how to use folders, multi-tasking, new mail features, and more. Again, the OS is considered a win and worthwhile for iPhone 3GS users. There is a caveat (see below).

Links of the Week

Looney Tunes Cast Revealed
Bugs Bunny is returning to the airwaves soon via the Cartoon Network but with a new look and new (mostly female) cast members. The cast has been de-aged to around early teens. I just miss the old cartoons which were pulled off the airwaves by the Network once they locked up exclusive rights to them and decided they were not worth airing.

Gigantic Lego Imperial Shuttle
Lego continues its huge scale Star Wars sets with the 2503 piece set that will hit retail in September for $260. Once assembled, the craft will be 28'' tall and 22'' wide. It will include five minifigs with Darth Vader, Shuttle Pilot, Imperial Officer, Stormtrooper and Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker. Sadly this set is outside my wallet range.

Monster Lego Chess Set
Below is a video that shows off a massive, motor controlled chess board that was built with 100,000 Legos and $30,000. The game is controlled by computer that can also reset itself. More info on it at Team Hassen Plug.

E3 2010 News

E3 is a video game convention/conference where the major video game companies present their plans for the next year. The business aspect is to get retailers and the like interested in their product but the main benefit is the free press they get worldwide as people talk about their plans and show off the products that are coming down the pipe. This year brings not only new hardware from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft but the usual plethora of games. Below are links and the like to info I found most interesting.

E3 Press Conferences and Trailers
From checking the various websites, Gametrailers.com really is the best source to see all the E3 press conferences and trailers in solid quality so head there if want all the details and not just a few bullet points.

Microsoft Kinect Officially Announced
Last year at E3, Microsoft demonstrated a device they called "Project Natal". This year it is now an official edition to the Microsoft line-up complete with Kinect specific games, special port on new XBox Slim and really a whole new way to do motion control. The device supports controller-less playing, voice commands, video chat and more. It uses sensors to tell a person's positioning to reflect commands so a kick is read as a kick, a jump a jump and so forth. Touching in space can register as commands and a lot more. It’s hard to type out what it does, but the potential of this is huge. It also seems like a lot of work since you can't "cheat" the system like you could with the Wii where could bowl from the couch. Since your body is the controller, it means games will require your full physical attention to participate. The systems release date is November 4th and the expected launch games list is here. Gamestop has the price at $149 but that price point is not official. I suspect that that at that time there will be XBox, Kinetic + game system packs that will go on sale in time for Christmas.

Links of the Day

Nintendo 3DS Revealed?
Nintendo had announced last year it was working on a 3D handheld system and apparently some information about the product has been leaked. The device has the basic form factor of the regular DS but now with a much larger widescreen on top, camera, and an analog stick (the white nub on bottom left side). The image is just a mock-up based on the report from China but expect the real deal to be shown off next Tuesday at Nintendo's keynote address at E3.

Time-Lapse of Space Shuttle Prep and Launch
Very cool video that shows the six week process of prepping the Space Shuttle Discover for launch from the hangar bay all the way to lift-off.

Indiana 5 Rumors
The film is likely years off, but apparently next year is the penciled in date to start production. The story is rumored to involve Indy and his son Mutt on an adventure at the Bermuda Triangle. A goal is to go back to Indy roots with more practical effects and less CGI driving the story.

Starcraft II War is Coming Trailer
A decent trailer for the upcoming game. It mostly shows off the game's cinematic and hints at the single player story. I played the Beta and pretty much if you’re a fan of Starcraft I then two is right up your alley. My five year old machine played it pretty good once dialed down the graphics but I think any machine three years or less in age with separate graphics card should be able to enjoy the game.

iPhone 4 and Other Links

iPhone 4 Officially IntroducedToday Steve Jobs officially introduced the new iPhone at the WWDC 2010 keynote which will be available starting June 24th. The price will be $299 (32GB), $199 (16GB), and $99 (3GS 8GB). A comparison of the 3GS and iPhone 4 shows a faster processor (same as one in the iPad), a higher pixel density of 960 x 640 (almost same resolution as iPad) or what Apple calls Retina Display, HD video recording (720p at 30fps), a front and back camera, the main being 5 megapixel with flash, and slightly improved battery life. So far the phone seems to continue to be tied into the crapiness that is AT&T so an upgrade will jail you to them for two more years. Main new apps for the device include iBook (with pdf support), Netflix, and iMovie. The phone will also support video conferencing (aka FaceTime Video Chat) but only over a Wi-Fi connection. Hands-On description and video here. Top link is a definitive guide that breaks down all the details for the new phone.

Helen Thomas Forced into Retirement
If you want to know why conservatives always go into attack mode even when it does nothing to actually help, this is why. Helen Thomas voiced an opinion that Jews (aka Israel) should get out of Palestine. Since America has this warped opinion that Israel can do no wrong, it was twisted into an anti-Semitic remark by the right with the cowardly press corps diving into the dog pile as they figured it would help ratings (cause god forbid it actually start an intellectual conversation about the Gaza Strip, the politics of the regions and more).

Links of the Day

25 Horribly Sexist Vintage AdsAds that are kind of jaw dropping by today's standards in how they depict women vs men in trying to sell products. A shoe ad has the tag line "Keep her where she belongs...", another has a woman as a rug with her head being stepped on, another is for a projector but the focus isn't the projector but the woman's breasts, and well you get the idea. Amazing these often wordy and stupid ads actually worked.

Supreme Court Guts Miranda
It took three decisions to do it, but conservatives finally have used the sheep...err the five conservatives on the Supreme Court to gut Miranda rights to the point that they have no value. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court decided that until a person verbally invokes their right to remain silent. Apparently your rights only apply when you declare you intend to use them. I am not sure how the requirement to declare your intentions applies if you can't speak, don't speak English or talk after the statement is made. A previous ruling invalidated asking for a lawyer as a means of ending interrogations. Basically, with their various rulings over the years the police are only required to read you your Miranda Rights, not honor them. They can interrogate you for as long as they want, regardless of what your do or don't say, with the full protection of the Supreme Court. It’s unclear if other rights also have to be declared out loud before they apply. I wonder if this means websites have to declare their intent to use the 1st amendment since rights are no longer implied.

Nun Excommunicated for Saving Mom's Life
In yet another sign of how bizarre and arbitrary of the so called moral authority that is the Catholic Church. A nun, Sister Margaret McBride, approved an abortion as the only means of saving the mother's life. It was in the 11th week of the pregnancy so it was the death of the mom AND the baby or the death of just the baby. The decision is sadly pretty simple. The result was she was excommunicated. As the report at the link notes, strange how this nun participated in saving a life is punished and very quickly yet all the priests that raped children are still with the church who has gone through massive steps to protect them. Moral authority my rear end.