A movie known simply as...TRON...

Yes, it's an old preview.  But if you haven't seen it, check it out.  Not a fan of standard def?  Check out the official HD link here.



Looks hot, right?  I try to keep my expectations for sequels or remakes to movies low so my level of disappointment stays low as well.  I'm not trying to say these movies stink, but are usually heavily-marketed and advertised, with the stars making their regular appearances, making the expectation level rise until you finally get to see it.  I'll probably check this one out, depending on how the trailers progress and my interest level.  What do you think?

"Man, if they turned up looking like that in the United States..."

Harry Connick, Jr. pretty much summarized the whole thing with that quote.  It seems TV in Australia is much less concerned about racism.  This scene from a soon-to-be-canceled (hopefully) show called Hey Hey Hey It's Saturday aired yesterday (10/7/2009) and it brings back over 100 years of overt racism that I didn't think still aired publicly.  This is the kind of material that solidifies stereotypes internationally.  *sigh*  Looks like they'll still air anything for ratings and a "laugh".



SMH...

Screensavior!

Do you love the original Nintendo Entertainment System?

Do you love computers?

Do you hate staring at a bland boring cycle of photos, images, or colors that are designed to "save" your screen?

Fear not, I think I have found the solution to your problem.  It's called the UberNES ScreenSaver, courtesy of UberNES.  Here's a look at it in action:



The program allows you to display the "Demo Mode" of your favorite NES ROMs and tile them to fill up your idle workspace (like a dual-monitor set-up seen above) with old-school greatness.  You can even set up your own videos to play, highlighting great moments in videogaming history.

What is "Demo Mode"?  Think about that arcade you used to go to...that roar of digitalized grunts and colorful sprites.  You might have a sample of the gameplay running (X-Men the Arcade Game always comes to mind) or prologue of the fun.  Once you pop in a quarter or swipe the card at the local Dave & Buster's, everything stops and the game begins.  Now times that by 30 (60 if you're thinking dual-monitor)...never boring, alway changing, constantly awesome.  Best of all, if something grabs your attention at the time, it's no more than a few clicks away from playing!


Now the program itself breaks no rules, but you need to own a copy of the different ROMs to load into the program.  So unless you have a USB Cartridge reader and download your old collection onto your CPU, don't go scouring the internet for illegal copies of your favorite games.  I'm S.O.L. because I don't have any Nintendo games here with me, but if you do, do yourself a favor.  Download UberNES ScreenSaver here, give thanks to the development team here, and enjoy!

[via OhGizmo!]

*p.s. sorry about the crappy title

Get "fit" for a "bit"

Cool little device called "The FitBit" is shipping right now, and if you're a fan of tracking progess, this might be the new gadget of choice for you.

The FitBit is a fitness tracker of sorts that attachs to the top of your shirt and constantly monitors your activity, from how well you sleep to how hard you exercise.  All of the data is stored directly into the device until you come back into range of the base stations, which wirelessly retrieves and stores all the facts and figures like calorie consumption on total distance traveled.  The small clip itself has a maximum battery life of ten days, a built-in 3D motion sensor to capture all this info, as well as a slick OLED display.

I've seen the runners with their wristwatches, weightlifters with their journals, and golfers with their little books.  This little device looks promising for one big reason:  automatic stat tracking.  Often times you're able to estimate what you "put in" via calorie counting and meal tracking with a pad and paper.  Now, you're able to better estimate what you "put out".  All for about $99.  Not bad if you ask me.

[via GearLive]

Digitalism - Idealism (Preview)

I know I've been slipping lately with the musical updates.  I've been torn over whether I should be talking about classics or the newness.  Well...tomorrow, be prepared for another classic.  Y'all ain't ready for the new stuff yet...baby steps.

Gigantor!!

GIGANTOR!!  GIGANTOR!!  GIGAAAAAAAAAAAAATOOOOOOOOORR!!

In celebration of...an earthquake?...maybe I got that wrong...anyway, somebody thought it was a great idea to have Gigantor (to me at least...In japan he's known as "Tetsujin 28-go") blown up to life-size proportions and guard the Wakamatsu Park somewhere in Kobe, Japan.  Local shop owners were able to raise ¥135 million (close to 1.5 million dollars) via a non-profit organization intent on bringing more business and growth to the area.

I don't know if it's coincidence, but Mitsuteru Yokoyama, manga artist and creator of Tetsujin 28-Go, was born in Kobe, Japan.  Too bad he's not around to see one of his most treasured works brought to life.  I know we (The United States) have Lady Liberty, the symbol of freedom, guarding our shores.  Even so, the larger-than-life, bad-ass, rocket-propelled, "bigger than big" blue robot is pretty freakin' sweet!

[via Technabob]

Hardest Super Marios Bros. Levels of All Time

These are easily some of the toughest Super Marios Bros. levels you will ever see in your entire life.  Thank god they weren't this hard when I was a kid, otherwise I probably would have put a food through my SNES!!



Somebody modded the heck outta this second video.  It still looks tough, but it's more of a "look what I can do video", not a "aren't you glad you're not playing" approach like the last one.  It took me 30 seconds to notice that Mario's face is a bit off.  Also, he does this funny "Superman" pose when he does a normal jump.  Classic.



[via TechEBlog]

Dell's taking on the impossible

It's not an easy task to "future proof" any piece of technology in this day and age.  Dell's giving it a shot with their new Vostro line of desktop computers.  Spec wise, the new line offers plenty of customization options.  They'll ship Window 7 ready (due out soon, can't wait!) and have solid options in terms of internal PC components (Core i5 & i7 for the processor, ATI & Nvidia graphics card options, up to 1 TB of storage, and an impressive maximum of 16 GB RAM).  It will also have a 19-in-1 card reader, plenty (10+) USB ports, and older ports for older components (PS/2 & Serial Data ports)

I'm sure upgrading from the standard package price at $699 will up the price, but not to ridiculous levels.  You should be able to set together a decent package for well under the $1,000.

If you want to see what normally happens when you start adding upgraded components to an ordered PC, go to Apple's site here and put together the best Mac Pro you possibly can.  Dual-monitors, double quad-core processing power...go nuts.  I got nothing against Apple, but I always giggle when I pick all the premium options just to see what the final price is.  To get the best stuff, you got to pay the price!

But back to the Dell...I'm not a computer scientist by any means.  I'm not a computer whiz either.  I will say that I am relatively well-informed on the flow of computer technology, and there's one thing I've noticed:  nothing's future-proofed.  Just off the top of my head, I know there's new Intel core architecture around the bend, maybe due of Q4 2009 (sometime late this year) that'll be smaller, faster, more efficient (less heat), and at an aggressive price.  That's just one very non-specific example of how nothing's future-proofed nowadays.  There's plenty more.

Regardless, for someone with limited computer knowledge looking for a PC that's last more than a couple months, Dell has a solid choice for them.

[via Engadget] 

Ever been DWB'd? (Driving while BATMAN!!)

I'll show you the picture first, give you some facts later, then finish it off with the reaction. So, first things first:

 

Yes, it's real.  Yes, it runs.  Maybe, it's street legal (at least in Sweden where it resides).

"Cost: over $1 million...Time: 3.5 years, 20,000 hours of painstaking work to convert a ‘73 Lincoln Continental...Contents: DVD, voice recognition, height adjustment, reversing cameras...Pleasure: Incalculable, as people gather around to oggle outside IKEA."

That million bucks also went towards internal voice recognition software, rear view cameras, and an adjustable ride height system.  Don't believe me?  Check the video below:



Seeing this had me reliving the childhood dream of sideswipping some bad guys with a Bat-hook assisted power slide just like in Batman (the Michael Keaton one, pre-Christian Bale awesomeness).  Don't know how hard it is to turn in that bad boy, but if Stretch Hummer drivers can whip those things around, I'll manage.

[via Toxel via redferret]