My belief at this point in time is that Google is what Microsoft use to — an out of control monopoly that must be stopped. So despite the fact that I’m an Apple fanboy at heart I’ve been rooting for Microsoft to get serious about the cloud for a few years now. And frankly I’m also still using Microsoft Outlook as my main email client — so when I heard that Microsoft was rolling out Office 2010 I had to check it out right away. And if you look at the above screen, what I came across was a total failure. Read more…
Warning! This Star Trek First Contact Phaser Rifle Replica is not for low budget fanboys. At over $1000 this fabulous firearm includes a hand painted finish, shoulder strap, and of course working lights and sound effects. Here’s Worf in action with the phaser rifle (note: Klingon attitude not included with the replica): Read more…
Twitch recently posted this photo of a supposed Godzilla prototype from the upcoming American remake, and it’s been floating around the net for the last week. Unfortunately, popular horror site Bloody Disgusting managed to confirm that the model in question is not from the upcoming Legendary Pictures remake after all — a shame, considering how fantastic the model actually is. I’m not really sure what to expect from the upcoming remake, as the production staff behind the film are also responsible for the travesty that was Terminator: Salvation, but I do hope that they’ll give the franchise the treatment it deserves. After all, the last thing we need is another Emmerich-esque bomb. Read more…
This little video might spoil J.J. Abram’s Star Trek for you, but if you haven’t seen the film, you deserve to have it spoiled by now. While I was reading Simon Pegg’s (Scotty) tweets, I stumbled upon a link to this hilarious, albeit short, spoof of the 2009 sci-fi blockbuster. Push It Films, known on YouTube for their various low-budget spoofs, really went all out with this one — though I have to admit I a bit disappointed by the lack of lens flare, because if anything about has yet to be spoofed to death, it’s that. Read more…
With Disney World’s annual Star Wars Weekends event beginning later this month, several new advertisements have recently popped up. The images feature everything from Yoda trimming Mickey Mouse-shaped hedges with his lightsaber to Darth Maul having a rainbow painted on his face — each image just gets better and better. I’m a little sad that they omitted Boba Fett, but the expression on Darth Maul’s face more than makes up for it. If you’d like some higher resolution images, head over to Avertolog. Read more…
How is it that fan films have gotten to be so good? I’m at a loss as to how this trend came about, but I’m not about to complain. Street Fighter: Legacy by Streetlight Films, is one such project. After years of witnessing Hollywood butcher my favorite games, its really refreshing to see fans take matters into their own hands. While it’s not quite feature length, the production is top notch and really worth your time. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 10, 2010 in Fandom, Tech
As both a tech geek and a Space:1999 fanboy I loved this fan made video tribute to Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace. I also found the entire steampunk look of the video quite pleasing: Read more…
Like good little geeks, we’ve all been drooling over the Iron Man 2 trailers as they’ve been released. And we’ve seen USA’s “sneak peek” at least six thousand times between NCIS reruns (is it still a sneak peek if the movie’s out now?). And of course, we have now seen the ultimate trailer (for the Avengers movie), Iron Man 2.
Above: The record sleeve for the Queen single Radio Ga Ga the music video of which incorporated a great deal of footage from Metropolis.
The last time fandom was this excited about Metropolis was the 80s: It was no secret that Ridley Scott borrowed some of his inspiration from the film when making Blade Runner – and the highpoint was the Giorgio Moroder 1984 release of the film. I have a great deal of love for the Moroder release as it made the film cool to a new generation with it MTV soundtrack (that and Moroder is a musical genius). So I had mixed feelings about seeing the current release of Metropolis as I wondered if I could this film with a fresh eye yet again, and I’m glad to say that I did. Read more…
For those who aren’t familiar with it Kingdom Hearts (キングダム ハーツ) is a Japanese RPG series that has been around since 2002 that combines original anime characters with old school Disney critters. To celebrate the series in August Square Enix will be shipping this set of Kingdom Hearts Avatar Trading Arts Mini Vol. 1 collectables. In this set of figurines the original Kingdom Hearts characters have been turned into ultra-cute “avatars” — included in the set are Cloud, Tifa, Sora, Riku and ginger haired Axel: Read more…
This highly educational video goes into some very graphic detail on how one does a number one and number two on the space shuttle. The one thing that I learned is that going to the bathroom in outer space is quite a complicated project, so much so in fact that one must be trained to use the facilities: Read more…
This ever so kawaii collection of Hello Kitty Formation Arts miniatures reminds me a great deal of those famed bejeweled Fabergé eggs (Яйца Фаберже). Aspiring nouveau riche feline fans can decorate their drawing room (didn’t you always want one of those?) with kitty characters who come fashioned as a roper Parisian mademoiselle, a Chinese Empress, a Greek goddess with leafy wreath on her head, the Queen of England with a scepter in her paw and as an Arabian belly dancer. Although be warned: At $65.90 for the entire collection lesser financed fans might find themselves going more broke than baroque. Read more…
I don’t want to date myself too badly, but I had the pleasure of seeing Macross before it was Robotech and the one thing that I loved about the show right away was the mecha design. And apparently I’m not the only one who felt that way — shown here is a Lego recreation of the Valkyrie VF-1S by the talented Eric Druon who goes by the name BaronSat. His Robotech as Lego tribute gallery is here — and his beautiful website is here. I personally think that it’s amazing that a fictional fighter robot which was designed by the talented folks at Studio Nue in 1982 would inspire someone to tackle this tribute 28 years later — which is all the more amazing considering that the show was originally set in the futuristic year of 2009. Read more…
My favorite thing about this Star Wars Clone Wars Boba Fett Helmet is that they did a good job of getting in the proper the proper wear-and-tear that one would associate with a bounty hunter. Another plus for this keepsake is that includes authentic sounds and an “articulated rangefinder”. Of course I prefer Boba from The Empire Strikes Back: There’s something a bit silly about seeing him as a child in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones which ruins his mystic for me which is so well captured with the headgear. Read more…
Okay, this is just too amazing not to share. Otaku blogger Meimi132 recently took a trip to Cromer, England and stumbled across what appears to be a giant lobster dressed in Tony Stark’s patented Iron Man body armor. Who could have been insane enough to create this unholy medley of claw and steel? Good question, though, you have to give whoever did it credit for originality. According to Meimi132, there are 80 more lobsters spread around the sea-side town, but I doubt any of them are anywhere near as awesome. For more pictures, including a few of an Avatar-inspired counterpart, check out the full entry here. Read more…
I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it is to find decent formal wear that really speaks to my inner geek, but occasionally I luck out — such was the case with this fantastic Space Invaders inspired neck tie by Since 1337. The aliens are available in both green and blue, while both look sharp, the green might come off a bit loud. Unlike the game, it’ll probably cost you more than a few quarters at $38 plus tax and shipping, but they’re probably worth it. After all, they’re designer ties. For more info, check out the Since 1337 online store. Read more…
Like some of you, I spent a good portion of the early 90’s trying to master Rainbow Road with Mario, Luigi and the gang. I spent most of that time falling off the track and starting over, but that really keep me coming back for more. Its nostalgic for me, but what I remember most about SuperMario Kart was how much I loved the music. I always imagined what it’d sound like performed live, and now it seems like I finally got my wish. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 5, 2010 in Star Wars, Tech
Have you ever wanted your GPS to sound like a Sith Lord, or James Earl Jones? Perhaps you’ve just imagined yourself as a hapless Admiral, in charge of piloting your own Star Destroyer, while fearing for your very life. Well, now you’re one step closer, thanks in part to TomTom’s custom Star Wars brand voice samples for their GPS devices. For around $13 you can have Darth Vader mock your failure to turn at the last light. Over the course of the next three months, additional Star Wars voice packs will go on sale for C-3PO, Yoda, and Han Solo respectively. Pretty awesome, right? Check out the official site for more information. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 4, 2010 in Japanese TV
I’m not sure what it is with Japan and making still images come to life, but the latest commercials for their Shigekix candies — I’m told they’re kind of like WarHeads, but not as sour — do just that. The commercials, which feature some well known paintings, such as the Mona Lisa, have the portraits belting out a cute little jingle while enjoying the tasty snack food. It almost kind of reminds me of a Japanese iPhone app called PhotoSpeak which allows you to animate still pictures with audio recordings. If you’re interested in the app, check out the app store for more info, and if you want to see more of the commercials, check the Shigekix website — they’re all there. Read more…
It’s been nearly three years since Mimobot launched its line of Star Wars themed USB thumb drives, and yet they continue to release set after set of the collectible storage medium. Their latest set finally got around to giving us R2-D2 and Obi-Wan, not to mention Han and Luke disguised as Storm Troopers. When Michael first mentioned them back in 2007, they only came in 2GB models, but since then, Mimobot has started offering models that range between 4 to 16gbs at additional cost. While I’m not sure I need to start collecting these — as if I didn’t already have more thumb drives than anyone else I know — the fact that you could use a Jawa to store your documents almost seems like reason enough to own one. If you’re interested, check out the official Mimobot store for pricing and availability. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 3, 2010 in Comic Books
Manga Mad is a documentary made a few years ago that is now available on Hulu (seen above). The video is only an hour long and a bit flashy, however it does have quite a few good mini-interviews. I was quite impressed to see clips of Leiji Matsumoto, Japanese comic book shop owners, a publisher from Kodansha and best of all Yoshihiro Yonezawa the founder of the Comiket Market who passed away not long after the documentary came out. Read more…
K-9 made his first debut on Dr. Who in 1977 and he’s been beloved ever since. This Doctor Who Remote Control K-9 pays tribute to our cybernetic canine companion and includes flashing lights and speech. Judging by the fact that he runs on AA batteries I think the only flaw that I see with this K-9 unit is that he’s not life sized which would make him the perfect cosplay accessory (or ultimate office toy). Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 2, 2010 in Star Trek
For those who have grown up with Star Trek this trailer for Trek Nation looks — I hate to say it — looks fascinating. The film was done by Gene Roddenberry’s son as an attempt to connect with his father who has passed away. Included are interviews with many folks connected with the franchise like D.C. Fontana and Patrick Stewart, but there’s also the nice touch of have industry legends like George Lucas and Stan Lee talk about the show and the man who brought it to life. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 1, 2010 in Pulp Fiction
This wonderful illustration is from a 1959 ad in Newsweek magazine for America’s Independent Electric Light and Power Companies. The headline for the ad is Your Personal “Flying Carpet” and the copy that follows sounds quite silly until you get to the last line which reminds me a great deal of the internet today: Read more…
