A woman who tried to unlock a stolen iPhone unwittingly took her own photo. An application on the phone then automatically sent the photo to the owner, who called the police. It's a good reminder that there are tools out there, either free or darn close to it, that can track your stolen or lost smartphone.

The crook who cracked into the email of numerous celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis, has been sent to prison. Is there anything the rest of us can learn from this? Find out more...

Check out these pictures of NASA's brand new prototype Z-1 spacesuits — do they remind you of anything? As Slashfilm points out, there's a striking resemblance to Buzz Lightyear — almost as if someone at NASA was a Toy Story fan. More »

When this photo showed up today, no one was quite sure as to whether it really is the first shot of Tom Hardy as the new Max Rockatansky in George Miller‘s Mad Max: Fury Road. But Warner Bros. has confirmed that it is, indeed, a legit pic of Max, and so you can enjoy an advance look at the beaten and dirty new Max well in advance of any likely footage debut.

The Playlist verified the pic, and found that it’s an image Hardy signed for crew members. AICN got the first look at the photo.

Mad Max: Fury Road also stars also stars Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hugh Keays-Byrne, and Nathan Jones. It opens in 3D in 2014.

• Mad Max: Fury Road Will Feature “130 Cars and Bikes and 298 Stunts!”
• George Miller Might Make a Whole New ‘Mad Max’ Trilogy
• Filming Delayed for Mad Max: Fury Road; Production May Not Resume Until 2012
• Slight Details Revealed About Charlize Theron’s Role in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
• Mad Max: Fury Road Will Be Shot in 3D
• WETA Announces Work on Mad Max: Fury Road, But (Rumor Time!) is the Shoot Delayed?

How did the idea for Nextwave (Or is it NEXTWAVE?) come about? I’m just getting into the series and it’s pretty much one of the most amazing comics I’ve ever read.

afriendtosell

Oh, god, that was a few years ago.  Nick Lowe at Marvel wanted me to do a book in his office.  I know I’d been thinking about something Brian Bendis said, about hoping his work on the AVENGERS comic would start a conversation about that kind of superhero-team comic.  This was, what, seven years after THE AUTHORITY and Grant’s JLA and all, at this point, so it was a fair conversation to have.  And Brian was presenting his take on that.  Brian’s very interested in David Mamet, and Mamet’s often used as a stick to beat him with, but his approach in AVENGERS is probably easier to understand as being like Tarantino going to crime fiction in RESERVOIR DOGS — turning a greying “action genre” formula thing into a hyper-verbal ensemble piece.

So, well, I obviously couldn’t do that.  I wanted to engage that work in conversation, but I had to come in from another angle.  And since this was to be a company-owned book, and my job at Marvel was really to service their extant creative library, coming up with something brand new would have been counterproductive.

Which brought me to this: taking just a ton of those old characters and ideas that were currently useless to Marvel, throwing them in a pot like thepotboiler catmeat they were, and just driving them down over high heat until you had something pure.  Or at least concentrated.  While watching FLCL on repeat.  Just boiling and mixing and throwing more old Marvel ideas in there and remixing and sampling and remixing some more.  Taking out all the sticky tendon and unmelted bone of, you know, plot, and character, and continuity, and anything else that people think should belong in superhero comics.

And that would be my contribution to the conversation.  There’s a quote that’s stuck with me for, oh, 25 years, that I’ve used a few times to describe a certain kind of work, and it was probably never more fitting than used for NEXTWAVE.  It was my motto for the job as I was writing it.  Nik Cohn describing “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard:

“A glorious burst of incoherent noise.”

I doubt I ever lived up to it, but that was the target.

i have no idea if i’ve answered the question NEXTWAVE IS LOVE send

Also Stuart Immonen is a genius.

We were really, really hoping that Brad Bird would be directing Disney's upcoming Star Wars movie, especially after Toy Story 3 scribe Michael Arndt signed on to write the script. Alas, it is not meant to be. Bird has just confirmed over Twitter that he won't be directing the next Star Wars film. More »

I realized it about a quarter of the way into Breaking Dawn, Part 2, the fifth and final movie in the Twilight movie saga. I was watching a porn flick. I don't mean that people were getting it on in improbable ways with even more improbable amounts of stamina. I mean the stilted dialogue whose entire purpose is to introduce long, wordless sequences of carnal indulgence. The wooden acting that we are not supposed to care about because we're just in this for the money shots. But what, exactly, is the release we're waiting for? The climax, if you will? More »

Aaron Sorkin has thus far said relatively little about the Steve Jobs biopic he's writing for Sony Pictures. But the acclaimed screenwriter finally let some details slip today at The Hero Summit, an event presented by Newsweek and The Daily Beast. During an interview, Sorkin revealed that the movie will be comprised of three, 30-minute sections that each take place backstage in the moments immediately preceding some of Jobs' most iconic keynotes.

"This entire movie is going to be three scenes and three scenes only that all take place in realtime," Sorkin said. "A half hour for you in the audience is the same as a half hour to a character on the screen." The three presentations that will serve as backdrops in the film will be the...

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Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained has seen its fair share of posters: character posters, international posters, teaser posters and now we’ve reached the climax. The final theatrical one-sheet has now been revealed and it’s pretty standard. Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz looking mean, lots of blood and the tagline: “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Vengeance.” The film opens December 25; check out the poster below.

Thanks to Yahoo Movies for the poster.

Two quick things to point out. 1. What the heck is up with the look on Foxx’s face? He looks messed up, does he not? 2. I love that Don Johnson not only gets the “and” credit, but they even put up his character name: Big Daddy. Bad ass.

Will you be spending your Christmas with Django?

 

• Twelve New ‘Django Unchained’ Images Reveal New Characters And Scenes
• Quentin Tarantino Says ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Inglourious Basterds’ May End Up as Two Thirds of a Loose Trilogy
• Posters: First ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ One-Sheet, Plus ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Killing Them Softly’
• ‘Django Unchained’ International Trailer: Getting Dirty With Brand New Footage
• Five ‘Django Unchained’ Character Posters Put The Stars Front and Center
• ‘Django Unchained’ Trailer #2: Django’s Curious What Makes You So Curious

Being able to ask "what if…" and getting a print a few minutes later is part of what makes 3D printing so amazing. You might not be able to print a flying car or jetpack anytime soon, but rather, indulging creative curiosity to further the next big thing brings the future that much closer. Therefore, Joaquin Baldwin's 3D-printed bacon Möbius strips are even cooler than originally thought, and a steal at $19 from Shapeways.

Read the full article on MAKE

There's a relatively obscure medical condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome. It happens to people who are either losing their sight, or completely blind. Suddenly, one day, they see vivid and detailed hallucinations. It's been documented since the 1700s, and even today nobody is quite sure why it happens. More »

It’s not often, if ever that I get excited about cars. Sure I’ll sit up and take notice of your V8 Interceptors or a black Trans-am with a glowing red grill, but largely speaking I couldn’t give a monkeys unless it’s the Batmobile or something. Cue the Lamborghini Ferruccio Concept Car by Mark Hostler! I suddenly give a monkeys:

[Show as slideshow]

Next year the legendary super car manufacturer will be celebrating its 50th anniversary and the Lamborghini Ferruccio concept, designed by Mark Hostler, a transportation design student at Staffordshire university, is the manufacturer showing off what is essentially Bruce Wayne’s next purchase from the local auto dealership. Features wise it goes like this:

The trademark of Lamborghini’s flagship supercars has always been a large v12, but in the current climate of environmentalism, car manufacturers are now using smaller, turbocharged engines to meet emissions regulations without compromising on performance.

The Lamborghini Ferruccio combines these two ideas, using upcoming technologies in engine design and manufacture. It would use a v12, but a comparably small 5.0 liter unit, boosted by two turbochargers and using direct injection.

The main difference however, is that the engine would be more subtle, and actuate its valves using pneumatic solenoids controlled by a computer. This combination of technologies would allow the Lamborghini Ferruccio’s engine to still stick to the v12 Lamborghini philosophy, whilst still being both cleaner and more economical than a traditional engine.

Now, like I say. I am not overly bothered by cars, but this piece of highway sex metal is possibly one of the best things I’ve ever seen sat on four wheels, and has such a radical look not too dissimilar to the Batmobile that I thought it merited inclusion for our readership to enjoy. I hope you did

The post Lamborghini Ferruccio Concept Car: The BATMOBILE Of Super Cars appeared first on BAD HAVEN.

Brazilian scientists have announced that they are moving ahead with plans to clone a number of endangered species, a list of animals that includes the jaguar, maned wolf, and black lion. The groundbreaking initiative is being conducted by the Brasilia Zoological Garden in partnership with the Brazilian government's agricultural research agency, EMBRAPA. The researchers claim that they're not looking to repopulate habitats, but to increase the number of captive specimens available. But in the event of extreme cases, they admit that they're prepared to release these cloned animals into the wild. More »

Redditor slapshotten11 lives near TV Batman Adam West, and decided to look him up in the Ketchum, Idaho, phone book. But it’s not that easy to track down the Batman. It’s nice to know that even in this digital age, paper phone books can still provide us with so much amusement.

[reddit]

If you've got fond memories of speeding through "don't call it Miami" Vice City to the sounds of a drugged-up Scottish hair band bickering in the back of your limousine, good news: you'll soon be able to take the experience with you. Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar has announced that as part of the 10th anniversary celebration for GTA: Vice City, they'll be releasing mobile versions for both Android and iOS later this year. Vice City's release will come about a year after the mobile version of the original crime sandbox, Grand Theft Auto III.

Were you were too young to enjoy (or buy) Vice City when it hit the PS2 way back in 2002?

Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:

• Wholesale Destruction: Grand Theft Auto III On Sale For $1 (80% Off)
• Grand Theft Auto III On Sale For Only $0.99 Till May 28th, 80% Off Standard Price
• [Update: On Sale For $3 Until 12/29] Time To Beat People Up And Steal Cars, Right On Your Mobile - Grand Theft Auto (GTA) III Is Now In The Android Market
• Rockstar Announces Release Date For Max Payne Mobile - Coming To Android On April 26th

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Coming To Android, Nostalgic Rampages Scheduled For Fall was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Rabid gossip mongers (and they’re usually right on the money too) Latino-Review have dropped the bomb shell that Guillermo del Toro, a man with a plate so full it could be an ‘all you can eat buffet’  is apparently in discussions with Warner Bros. to direct a film starring Swamp Thing, Deadman, Constantine, The Spectre, Phantom Strange, The Demon Etrigan, Zatanna, Zatara and Sargon. Which is basically all DC’s Vertigo imprint characters, or at least they were before The New 52. Alan Moore originally assembled this more or less exact same line up for Swamp Thing #50 and Swamp Thing Annual #2 of this epic run on Swamp Thing during the early 80′s (which was incidentally also Constantine’s first appearance before his ongoing Hellblazer title. Moore famously based him on Sting).

 

 

 

Del Toro’s adap has been titled Heaven Sent and will be based on the vertigo characters above. Notably a similar bunch inhabit Justice League Dark in DC’s New 52, though with Del Toro adapting I’d say it’s a safe bet he’ll be channeling the older material as opposed to the newer stuff by Peter Milligan and Jeff Lemire.

 

 

The post GUILLERMO DEL TORO To Direct DC VERTIGO Characters In HEAVEN SENT Movie For WARNER Bros. appeared first on BAD HAVEN.

By George Dvorsky

Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno’s latest work, On Space Time Foam, is now on display at HangarBicocca in Milan and it’s really quite extraordinary. The installation consists of a large floating structure composed of three levels of clear film that can be accessed by the public. Visitors are encouraged to walk, roll, crawl, or lie down. And depending on where they’re situated within the installation, patrons may even get the impression that they’re floating on air.

Like his previous work, Saraceno is striving to detach his visitors from conventional geographical, physical, behavioral, and social constructs — what he sees as barriers. On Space Time Foam creates a new medium for interaction, requiring participants to get a collective sense of responsibility and accountability; movements within the display can have downstream effects for other participants. 

Moreover, it’s a “transparent society.” Everybody can see everyone else.

Saraceno, who is inspired by 20th century utopian architecture, creates structures that can be inhabited by people, are self-sufficient, and have low environmental impact. 

On Space Time Foam took months to plan and involved a multidisciplinary team of architects and engineers. It will be on display until February 3, 2013. 

Via My Modern Met. All images via Alessandro Coco, HangarBicocca.

Segurem seus sabres de luz, pessoal, pois o podcast mais escroque da internet vai usar a força!

Os escroques Change, Corto e Nerd Reverso (e depois o Hell, e depois o Falecido Mallandrox, e depois o Diogo Braga) juntam-se à nossa camarada Proscila Priscila Queiroz, a maior autoridade desse nosso Brasilzão em Star Wars, para analisar a venda do ano: a Disney comprou a Lucas Art por 4 bião de doletas! Qual será o futuro da franquia? Será que o Mark Hammil gordo estilo Nerd Reverso vai fazer os novos filmes? Será que teremos musicais nos novos filmes de Star Wars? Princesa Leia será uma Princesa Disney? E o mais importante: agora que a Lucas Art é da Disney, Howard The Duck se juntará aos Vingadores???

O feed do podcast MDM foi vendido e a Disney, como não tinha espaço pra guardar, enfiou no seu cu
Acesse a página do Feicebuqui do MdM
Acesse o Tuíter do MdM, aquela ferramenta inútil.

Comentado nesse podcast:

Nana Gouveia no furacão
Carrie Fisher velhaca

dstates writes "One Laptop Per Child reports encouraging results of a bold experiment to reach the millions of students worldwide who have no access to primary school. OLPC delivered tablets to two Ethiopian villages in unmarked boxes without instructions or instructors. Within minutes the kids were opening the boxes and figuring out how to use the Motorola Zoom tablets, within days they were playing alphabet songs and withing a few months how to hack the user interface to enable blocked camera functionality. With the Kahn Academy and others at the high school level and massive open online courses at the college level, are teachers going the way of the Dodo?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Anthropologists in the UK have constructed a remarkably life-like model of a Neanderthal man from a 70,000 year-old skeleton that was discovered in France over a century ago. More »

Those of us who grew up with Star Wars the first time around remember how disheartened we were after Return of the Jedi when George Lucas said there wouldn’t be more movies in the series until that far-off future year of 1990. Those who also remember when there were supposed to be nine films, including a sequel trilogy… well, we pretty much came to terms with that over the years, since it’s not like there wasn’t plenty of other Star Wars stuff to go around.

Today, though, the inner child revives, and Mark Hamill’s agent is likely doing cartwheels – not only did Disney just buy Lucasfilm in a four billion dollar deal, but they also announced they’re targeting Star Wars Episode VII for 2015. That’s right: Star Wars Episode VII, to be followed not just by VIII and IX, but “a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years,” according to Disney CEO Bob Iger.

And let’s not forget that Lucasfilm isn’t just Star Wars. Does this mean that if there’s another Indiana Jones adventure, it’ll be the Sleeping Beauty castle that morphs into scenery rather than the Paramount mountain? Could Marvel be planning a more faithful Howard the Duck reboot, possibly as a Disney animated feature? Entire theme parks based on the galaxy far, far away? Will Disney see a value in spinning Red Tails into a franchise? Is Lucas now planning on making those experimental movies on is own that he’s teased for so long? Will the sequel movies incorporate or ignore such characters from the Expanded Universe canon as Jaina Solo, Mara Jade and Grand Admiral Thrawn?

If you’re a toy collector, better make some room. And check out our gallery of some of the best Disney/Star Wars mash-ups to date.

UPDATE: We asked Dark Horse to comment on the future of Star Wars comics, since Disney owns Marvel, but Star Wars is currently at DH. Mike Richardson, president of Dark Horse Comics, Inc., responded: “Dark Horse and Lucasfilm have a strong partnership which spans over 20 years, and has produced multiple characters and story lines which are now part of the Star Wars lore. Star Wars will be with us for the near future. Obviously, this deal changes the landscape, so we’ll all have to see what it means for the future.”

Editor’s note: Joseph Puopolo is an entrepreneur and startup founder of Printchomp who blogs on a variety of topics, including green initiatives, technology and marketing.

I am constantly amazed by the number of startups that build applications and take a huge business risk by building their company on an API call. Countless apps, particularly social apps, have popped up through the last 24 months that have taken data from other systems and re-displayed it in their systems. While there is widespread usage of APIs (and not for a moment am I suggesting that people not use them at all), I just think that start-up founders consistently underplay the business risk.

The risk is clear, if the data dries up so does your business. For all that have created apps based largely on API calls, consider what would happen if that information fire hose wasn’t there anymore. The companies who provide these APIs may not disappear, but it will definitely be a game-changer. The changes to Twitter’s API should serve as a warning sign and an important reminder. Countless third-party Twitter apps have found all their hard work rendered useless by the latest release of their 1.1 API, as the vital flow of data has come to a halt or slowed greatly. Some might blame Twitter and say how dare they shut down the fire hose to the community. I think a lot of responsibility needs to be placed on the developers who consciously build on an ecosystem they knowingly can’t control.

Two examples cited directly by Michael Sippey on the Twitter blog are Tweetbot and Echofon. In the words of Sippey, “Nearly eighteen months ago, we gave developers guidance that they should not build client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience. And to reiterate what I wrote in my last post, that guidance continues to apply today.” I am not here to parse the he said she said, just to offer a warning to startups building their business on an API.

If your startup could have its throat cut by a TOS (Terms of Service) change or API change, you shouldn’t just brush inherent risks to your company under the carpet. Moving beyond the risks to your company you should also consider what the true value you are providing to your users. In many cases (especially in the case of social), apps merely have a new UI on top of the information of Twitter or Facebook.

On the contrary, there is something amazing to be said for companies who build into the ecosystem and allow their functionality to be seamless across a broader group of applications. The best example that comes to mind is 37 Signals universe and the way they have built and integrated into countless other useful applications. They allow vital business information to flow freely flow between systems.  The trouble I have with many other companies and apps that have emerged is their sole dependence on other ecosystems to drive data into their systems via an API.

Perhaps I have an old-fashioned view of the Internet when I propose the following.  Your application needs to be able to offer some additional value beyond what you can drive via an API call and the subsequent data derived from it. There are definitely edge cases for this statement, but there is an underlying problem in how people are approaching the creation of a new business. Create your own mechanism for your users to contribute data into your system and encourage them to be active users with their own accounts in your system. Your system needs to be able to able to stand on its own two legs. For many young startups, API calls have become a crutch in lieu of generating their own data.

Some soul searching needs to occur for a lot of young entrepreneurs who are trying to create something people will find interesting and use. Just because you can make an API call and slap a slightly new UI on it doesn’t make it a business.

[Illustration by Bryce Durbin, based on Zimbbos]

Earlier this year the High Court in London ruled in favor of Samsung and dismissed the Apple’s claims the Galaxy Tabs copied the iPad’s design. The judge went even further ordering Apple to advertise the court’s decision for a month in various websites.

J.K. Rowling helped to revolutionize fantasy with her Harry Potter books, but sadly, she has not steeped herself in the genre. Her interview over at the New York Times is full of very old-school literary allusions. (As in, Elizabeth Gaskell and Anthony Trollope, two 19th century novelists that anyone who loves fantasy and science fiction should definitely read.) But when the New York Times asks her if there are any genres that she just can't be bothered with, Rowling responds: More »

Chris Harrison, a PhD candidate in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, has created Acoustic Barcodes, an inexpensive and effective way to attach a binary ID to almost any surface. Using a simple contact mic, the system reads the audible waveform given off when an object — like a fingernail, card, or phone — runs across the notches that make up the unique barcodes. As demonstrated in the video below, Acoustic Barcodes can be built into store window displays to provide product information or can be used to initiate file syncing with your smartphone by dragging the device across a coded surface. Acoustic Barcodes can be applied to a number of materials, ranging from wood and metal to glass and stone,...

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Quase um ano depois do primeiro teaser, finalmente temos prévia e detalhes da hq do Astronauta pelo Danilo Beyruth

Então cambada, está prestes a sair a primeira hq do projeto Graphic MSP, aquele divulgado pelo Sidney Gusman em primeira mão durante o Podcast MdM #131, e ontem o Sidão divulgou a capa e duas páginas de Astronauta – Magnetar. A hq tem roteiro e arte do grande fera Danilo Beyruth e cores da talentosíssima Cris Peter. Confere ai.

Na história, segundo o site do Fest Comix, veremos o Astronauta ficando “náufrago” no espaço e lutando não apenas pela sua sanidade mental, mas também pela vida. A hq terá 80 páginas no total, sendo 68 com a história e o restante com extras diversos, como sketches do Danilo, a primeira página dominical do Astronauta feita pelo Maurício de Sousa e, provavelmente, otras cositas mais.

O preço da facada? Cara, nem dá pra chamar de facada… R$19,90 com capa cartonada ou R$29,90 com capa dura, bem abaixo do que uma hq nacional dessas normalmente sai. Bem que o Sidão já havia nos dito que a ideia era ter um preço acessível. O lançamento acontece dia 19 em São Paulo, durante o Fest Comix, e depois a hq chega as bancas e livrarias.

Rapaz, tá imperdível isso ai… Sou grande fã do trabalho do Danilo, que arrebentou em Necronauta e Bando de Dois, qualquer trabalho que esse puto lançar, minha carteira toma um preju, porque o cara é fera, bicho! Tanto no pessoal quanto no profissional, oh loco meu.. Nessa hq a arte do Danilo ainda ganha as belas cores da Cris Peter, porra, ai é covardia.

Nos próximos dias o Sidão deve divulgar ainda mais previews, então quem curtiu fique ligado no twitter dele.

Mal posso esperar pra ler e tenho certeza que fará muito sucesso, abrindo caminho pras próximas e também aguardadas revistas da Graphic MSP.

For the past few years we’ve watched as producer David Fincher, cartoonist Eric Powell, and Blur Animation Studio have worked to make an animated feature film based on Powell’s comic The Goon. The comic is a foul, funny, zombie ass-kickin’ thing that is worth a read, and deserves a place up on the silver screen a hell of a lot more than another damned Ice Age movie.

So Fincher and Blur have gone to Kickstarter to raise a few hundred grand to pay for the next stage(s) of development. That would be a featfure-length story reel to show people how the film will play.

Begging for money isn’t easy, but Fincher and Blur make it look like fun, at least. They’ve got a great pitch reel that will help kill off any image you have of Fincher as a dour guy, and it also has some new Goon animation featuring the voice of Paul Giamatti (still attached! as is Clancy Brown, to voice the Goon) as glib motormouth Franky. Check it out below.

Here’s the pitch video, from the Kickstarter page. It opens with animation familiar to anyone who has been following along with the development of the film, but quickly gets to the new (and funny!) stuff:

The filmmakers say:

You might be asking yourself, “I’ve seen footage of The Goon animated film online… why do they need money? Isn’t it already being made?

The answer to that question is NO. The Goon Film has NEVER been in production. All the work you’ve seen (animation footage, trailers, artwork, etc.) has been produced independently and out-of-pocket by the creative team of David Fincher, Eric Powell, Blur Studio and Dark Horse Entertainment. We created “proof of concept” footage to show Hollywood the incredible potential of a Goon movie. It was very well received BUT because this movie isn’t a sequel or filled with dancing animals we’ll need more to bust open the gates and UNLEASH Goon and Franky on Hollywood. And by the freakishly barbarian strength of Aunt Kizzie, we’ll find a way to succeed!

This is where YOU come in.

The next step of our plan is to begin the filmmaking process by producing afeature length STORY REEL based on Eric Powell’s amazing script. (a story reel is a rough edit of storyboards combined with music and sound effects) This will give Hollywood a complete look at the Goon film’s potential… from his early life in the carnival to busting heads in the mysterious town with no name. We all know the Goon’s incredible story, the over-the-top action, hilarious comedy and genuine heart, but now it’s time for Hollywood to experience it as well.

This is the video that has been floating around for a while:

• Eric Powell and David Fincher Say ‘The Goon’ Adaptation is Not Dead, Paul Giamatti Apologizes for Sparking Rumors
• RIP Movies: Paul Giamatti Says ‘The Goon’ Ran Out of Money, Warner Bros. Kills ‘Elfquest’
• Watch the 2009 Comic Con Footage From David Fincher-Produced ‘The Goon’
• Comic Con: The Goon Panel Impressions and Footage
• Teaser Trailer: The Goon
• Comic-Con: Voices of Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti In The Goon; No Director Announced

Dungeons & Dragons gets a bit of a bad rap in popular culture, but in this video treatise from Idea Channel, they propose that Dungeons & Dragons wires players for success.

There are some deeply ingrained stereotypes about Dungeons & Dragons, and those stereotypes usually begin and end with people shouting “NERD!!!” But the reality of the D&D universe is a whole lot more complex. Rather than being an escape from reality, D&D is actually a way to enhance some important real life skillz! It’s a chance to learn problem solving, visualization, interaction, organization, people management… the list could go on and on. Plus, there are some very famous non-nerds who have declared an affinity for D&D, so best stop criticizing and join in if you want to be a successful at the game of life.

While we’re trying not to let our love of all things gaming cloud our judgement, we’re finding it difficult to disagree with the premise that open-ended play fosters creative and adaptive thinking.

Can Dungeons & Dragons Make You A Confident & Successful Person? [via Boing Boing]

HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It?

How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference

How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems

December has more than its fair share of highly anticipated titles, but somehow we suspect Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained will have no trouble setting itself apart from the pack. The second full-length domestic trailer for the “Southern-fried Western” offers plenty of juicy new footage, including better looks at stars Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jonah Hill. Even better, it does a bang-up job of showing off Tarantino’s twisted sense of humor and kinetic style. Watch it after the jump.

Head to Apple for HD, or watch below via via First Showing:

Trust Tarantino to take such a horrifying and tragic topic and turn it into something darkly hilarious, much as he did for World War II in Inglourious Basterds. I wonder what other atrocity he’ll tackle next?

I know Jamie Foxx wasn’t necessarily the fan favorite when he was first announced, but by now it’s clear Tarantino made a great choice. His Django looks like a stone-cold badass, but he’s also believable as a caring man willing to go to any length to rescue the woman he loves. But the performance I’m really looking forward to is Leonardo DiCaprio‘s as plantation owner Calvin Candie. DiCaprio’s fallen into a rut of playing traumatized souls, and it’s fun to see him mix things up as such a gleefully nasty villain.

Django Unchained gallops into theaters December 25.

Synopsis:

Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award(R)-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award(R)-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles–dead or alive.

• ‘Django Unchained’ International Trailer Offers Fresh Footage, New Dialogue
• Kerry Washington is Broomhilda in ‘Django Unchained’
• International ‘Django Unchained’ Trailer Features Small Glimpses of New Footage
• Casting Bits: Aaron Eckhart in ‘The Drummer’, Tom Savini in ‘Django Unchained’
• Kurt Russell May Replace Kevin Costner in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’; ‘Kill Bill’ Actress Laura Cayouette Joins Cast
• Gerald McRaney Added to ‘Django Unchained,’ Samuel L. Jackson Finally Confirmed

Aurich Lawson / Thinkstock

Pity the poor employees of companies like “Windows Technical Support"—scammers who make money by "fixing" computers that were never broken in the first place. For the people who pose as Windows support technicians and cold call unsuspecting victims to warn them about bogus viruses, life is good as long as they can wrangle credit card numbers and remote PC access from the gullible.

The scammer—who is generally from India but claims to live in the same country as the victim—tells whoever picks up the phone that their computer has been identified as having a virus. The scammer directs the user to look in the Windows Event Viewer, which shows a generally harmless list of error messages, and then says that this is a sign of serious infection. From there, the scammer convinces his mark to install a piece of software allowing remote access into the computer to clean up the problem, and to pay several hundred dollars in fees for the service. It's often known as the "ammyy" scam because users are sometimes directed to www.ammyy.com to install the remote desktop software.

Not everyone falls for it. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) didn’t, last week busting six fake tech support companies with names like Virtual PC Solutions and PCCare247 after having undercover agents pose as victims. Ars editor Nate Anderson didn’t fall for it, either, playing a helpless victim on the phone for 15 minutes before revealing that he knew what had been going on the whole time.

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