image courtesy of Apple.com
I downloaded iOS 6 for my iPad 2 a few hours ago, and am in the process of doing the same for my iPad touch (Yeah, I am just a bit invested in the Apple ecosystem, known to some as a “walled garden”).
One of the first things that I noticed was that, at least visually, the new OS doesn’t appear any different from iOS 5.1, the prior version.
Which is what I like about Apple. They will often release an operating system, be it for their mobile devices (iOS) or their computers (OS X) with tons of changes under the skin, but only incremental changes to the GUI (what someone who uses the device sees). This means that there are all sorts of changes happening under the skin, which the average user will never see, though their presence will enable users to do what they do even more efficiently.
What they do, if I can use a car as an analogy, is tighten things up under the hood, and add functionality–such as the new Maps application or tighter Facebook integration–that the user comes to recognize the more they use the device.
Video from the new Disney XD series “Tron: Uprising.”
Thanks to the guys at Aintitcool for the heads up.
Marvel’s Angel, is probably one of the most underrated superheroes there are (of course, I am not referring to Archangel. That guy is absolutely lethal) besides DC’s Aquaman–who’s really lame, by the way. His only ability is that of flight–which was probably obvious, considering those huge wings.
Flight is a weak ability, till you consider that we can only do so with the assistance of some motorized device because anything else is just falling with style, to quote Buzz Lightyear.
That is, till I saw this clip on Youtube.
Did I think that it was a fake? Sure. It didn’t quite make sense, but I am not math whizz or an engineer.
Unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed today.
Here are a few concept pics, courtesy of io9, of the upcoming series Space 2099. Being concept pics, they work only as an introduction to what the re-imagining of the series will be like, yet even a relatively limited capacity as that they offer a glimpse into what Jace Hall, the producer of the upcoming series, has in mind.
I understand why Netflix is moving toward original programming, though I am not quite sure why Yahoo would want to. That being said, they are working with Tom Hanks to produce “Electric City,” a 90-minute sci-fi series.
From the article on Deadline it appears that the purpose is to drive viewers to other aspects of Yahoo-branded programming, though it sounds like an expensive distraction to me, unless it has something to do with rumors of Yahoo purchasing the oftentimes beleaguered streaming movie company.
Here’s footage of Jeb Corliss, a BASE (buildings, antennas, spans & earth) jumper, wearing a wingsuit and “flying” though a hole in a mountain in China. I emphasize the word flying because the suit he’s wearing, while generating lift as a result of a relatively large surface and air pressure (similar in principal to the mechanics of a flying squirrel, as opposed to a bird) is not preventing him from falling.
It’s actually similiar to gliding, or falling with style–as Buzz Lightyear would say–which is why he also wears a parachute.
Thanks to CNET’s Crave for the heads up.
According to Nikki Finke’s Deadline, Starz will not longer provide content to Netflix when the current arrangement expires toward the end of February of next year.
This can be nothing but terrible news for Netflix management because Starz provides a significant amount of content, particularly movies, though there are TV shows as well.
Viewers too don’t make out very well either, because, despite the recent price increase, there will be fewer titles available for instant viewing.
Personally, even without Starz, I think that Netflix is a better value than Hulu, though obviously a little less so when the current deal expires.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece about a motorcycle modeled on the lightcycles from Tron: Legacy. And while that’s a cool vehicle, it doesn’t quite have the cache as the Batmobile.
Now, I am not talking about “the Tumbler” from Christopher Nolan’s run on the Batman saga because it’s too big, too brawny and way too impractical for anything that can be considered “normal” use.
Now, Tim Burton’s Batmobile, that’s another matter. It’s not significantly any more practical than The Tumbler (good luck finding a parking space, if you’re inclined to take it outside), and the lack of ground clearance virtually guarantees that you aren’t going to spend a lot of time driving it on typical city roads.
And while the Tumbler is all about brawn and sheer force, Burton’s Batmobile is about image. It’s relatively sleek, like a big, black, land-going shark, and says, “Don’t frak with me” just by standing still.
Besides, it’s virtually a stealth fighter compared to the massive Tumbler.
It almost looks like a car that, if Batman decided to trade up, that he could find a buyer in Darth Vader, or some other supremely evil, misunderstood villain.
And it could be yours if you have a spare $620,000 dollars lying about about.
Remember when George Lucas went back to the first three films in his Star Wars Saga and “tweaked” the special effects? It bothered me a bit because the first three films are iconic, and their effects were state of the art at the time that they were made.
The wholesale re-editing of scenes is another matter, but that’s a topic for another day.
Recently I discovered Space: 2099, which takes Space:1999–one of my favorite science-fiction series and iconic in its own right–and gives it a spit-and-polish treatment that brings it more in line with modern sensibilities.
What this “new” version of the show also does, which in its way is more important that jazzed up special effects, is to bring continuity to the stories, addressing what was at the time the biggest problem that the series had, which was the jarring change in set and costume design,and characters from the first season to the second.
Apple Devours Hulu?
Edited 731 7/22
I don’t know about this rumor, but it’s too fascinating to let go. According to Deadline, Apple is considering purchasing Hulu for $2 billion. What’s most interesting is that the deal would include two years of exclusive programming from NBCUniversal (now owned by Comcast), Fox (NewsCorp) and Disney (who happens to have a board member named Steve Jobs).
This could be a way to somehow funnel content into iTunes as well, which would be a way to not only increase users, but to sell more iPads, MacBook Airs, and iPhones by providing greater content under very favorable terms to Apple.
Then there’s the potential threat to Netflix…
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