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• CASTLE: A Tribute to Stana Katic and Kate Beckett • RIP: Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond Dead at 90 • Morning Shakeup: Michael Strahan leaving Kelly Ripa for Robin Roberts • NBC Will Try to Jump-Start Aquarius With an Ad-Free Season 2 Premiere: No commercials or promos during June 16 return • Funny […]

We've seen connected food dispensers and health trackers for pets, but we're still waiting for the first truly great smart pet toy. That's what PlayDate is aiming for with its smart ball, which resembles Sphero's devices and LG's upcoming Rolling Bot...

I don't know about you but I plan on playing video games until I die. Even then, I want my gaming rig buried with me, just in case there are LAN parties in the afterlife. The percentage of U.S. gamers who are over age 50 has increased rapidly, from just 9 percent in 1999 to 27 percent in 2015, according to the Entertainment Software Association's annual reports. This is a global trend. In Europe, a 2012 study by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe found that 27 percent of people between 55 and 64 played video games; in Australia in 2015, 41 percent of people between 65 and 74 played video games. Comments

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Castle co-star Stana Katic is not returning for the ninth season of the show.

Deadline reports that ABC is moving forward with the crime procedural without Katic, who plays Detective Kate Beckett. Meanwhile, her fellow co-star, Nathan Fillion, who plays Rick Castle, is reportedly in negotiations to come back for what's believed to be a 13-episode season.

Stana Katic plays Detective Kate Beckett on Castle

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It’s no secret that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been criticized for essentially being a remake of Star Wars: A New Hope, just with new characters used to progress the story this time instead of relying only on the familiar heroes from the original trilogy. There’s even a side-by-side comparison video to show how similar the two movies are.

While some have called this narrative decision lazy, others have rationalized this was done as a way to ease us back into the Star Wars universe with something familiar while simultaneously expanding the roster of characters who we would follow for at least the next two films in the new trilogy.

Thankfully, director J.J. Abrams addressed this issue during a special event panel at the Tribeca Film Festival where he sat down for a chat with Chris Rock. The pairing may seem strange, but they’re both filmmakrs, and thus ended up diving into some interesting topics, specifically why The Force Awakens and A New Hope similarities are so abundant. Find out what the director had to say below.

IGN snagged the quotes from Abrams, where he acknowledged some of the criticism out there for sharing a lot of story beats with A New Hope, and here’s how the director explained those creative decisions:

“[‘The Force Awakens’] was a bridge and a kind of reminder; the audience needed to be reminded what ‘Star Wars’ is, but it needed to be established with something familiar, with a sense of where we are going to new lands, which is very much what 8 and 9 do. The weird thing about that movie is that it had been so long since the last one. Obviously the prequels had existed in between and we wanted to, sort of, reclaim the story. So we very consciously — and I know it is derided for this — we very consciously tried to borrow familiar beats so the rest of the movie could hang on something that we knew was ‘Star Wars.'”

Even though it had been a long time since Return of the Jedi, fans obviously haven’t forgotten what a Star Wars movie feels like. That’s exactly why most of them don’t like the prequels. However, I think Abrams was still smart to ease back into the universe with familiar elements blending with the new.

By making a movie that is more in line with A New Hope, the movie that introduced us all to Star Wars, it gave a chance for fans, and perhaps more importantly in the grand scheme of things, general audiences, to grasp onto the expanding universe a bit easier while being introduced to Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Abrams adds:

“All the characters – the Stormtrooper who turns, Finn played by John Boyega, and Rey, the character that Daisy plays, the Scavenger, Kylo Ren, the son of Han and Leia, and Poe the pilot – all these were characters and sort of their roles in the story needed to exist in something that predates them.”

After all, Han Solo and Chewbacca don’t show up until 40 minutes into The Force Awakens, while Leia doesn’t show up until another 40 minutes after that. And we all know when Luke Skywalker shows up. So Abrams wanted fans to feel like they were in a familiar place before those characters came back. That’s why Jakku is basically Tatooine, Rey is very similar Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, and the basic story is about getting a droid with important information to a rebel force.

Honestly, it’s pretty impressive that Abrams was able to craft a movie that was so familiar while still feeling fresh and exciting, making for one of the most entertaining movies of 2015. Even if you didn’t enjoy The Force Awakens as much as most, I think the film sets the stage for a promising future that we’ll see unfold in Star Wars: Episode VIII.

What do you think?

The post J.J. Abrams Explains Why ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Borrows So Much from ‘A New Hope’ appeared first on /Film.

Here’s a quick economic quiz about the labor market, with important implications for the $15 an hour minimum wage hysteria that is sweeping the country:

True or False? Unskilled employees compete against employers in the labor market for higher wages.

Answer: False

Economic lesson: Despite what we hear from labor unions and the “Fight for $15” crowd, employees compete not against employers for higher wages, but against other employees. And it’s also the case that employers compete against other employers for the best employees. It’s like that in every market: buyers (employers) always compete against other buyers (employers), and sellers (employees) always compete against other sellers (employees).

For example, if you’re in the market to buy a home, you’re competing against other home buyers, not against home sellers, to get the best (lowest) price. And the home sellers are competing against other sellers to get the best (highest) price. As a result, the more buyers competing for a fixed number of available homes, the higher the home sales prices; and the more home sellers competing for a fixed number of buyers, the lower the home sales prices, ceteris paribus.

Economic implications of a $15 an hour minimum wage for the labor market: Unskilled workers compete against other workers – especially skilled workers — for a limited number of available jobs at a given point in time. If the minimum wage is increased from $7.25 or $10 to $15 an hour, that will give skilled workers an advantage over unskilled workers, and will take away from unskilled workers the one advantage they currently have to compete against skilled workers – the ability to offer to work for a significantly lower wage than what skilled workers can command. And to the extent that we remove the wage advantage for unskilled workers, we reduce their ability to compete against skilled workers, and reduce employment opportunities for those unskilled workers.

Here’s an example: Suppose that an employer can hire two unskilled workers at $7.25 an hour for a total cost of $14.50 an hour and provide them with on-the-job training, or hire one skilled worker for $20 an hour, provide no training, and get the same hourly output as two unskilled workers. Given that choice, the employer hires two unskilled workers and saves $5.50 an hour in labor costs. Now suppose that the minimum wage goes to $15 an hour, which would require the employer to pay $30 an hour for two unskilled workers. In that case, the employer would switch to hiring one skilled worker at $20 an hour over two unskilled workers, and save $10 an hour in labor costs. Result of a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour? Demand for skilled workers goes up, demand for unskilled workers goes down, and employment opportunities for unskilled workers are reduced.

Economist Walter E. Williams has used the following example to illustrate the competition described above between unskilled and skilled workers by looking at the market for different qualities of beef (see examples here, here, and here). Suppose that hamburger sells for $4 per pound and sirloin steak sells for $8 per pound. Hamburger is a much lower quality variety of beef compared to sirloin steak, but can attract a significant number of buyers who choose hamburger over the higher quality option for the 50% savings in price. Likewise, many employers may choose lower quality, unskilled workers over higher skilled employees for the significant savings in labor costs.

But now suppose the government imposes a “$8 per pound minimum beef price law.” In that case, most shoppers who buy beef will then purchase more sirloin steak and less hamburger because the lower quality meat has lost it main weapon to successfully compete against higher quality sirloin steak – a significantly lower price that compensates for the lower quality. Result? Hamburger sales will suffer due to the “minimum beef price law” and sirloin steak sales will increase. Just like in the labor market, a $15 an hour minimum wage will remove the most effective weapon that unskilled workers currently have to compete against skilled workers – the ability to work for a lower wage. Result? Employment opportunities for unskilled and limited-experience workers will contract, while employment opportunities for skilled workers will increase.

Bottom Line: Much of the economic confusion about the $15 an hour minimum wage hysteria can be traced to the mistaken assumption that unskilled workers are competing against their employers to get higher and higher wages. That’s absolutely not the case. The economic reality is that unskilled workers compete against other workers to get higher wages, especially skilled workers, and ultimately against investments in labor-saving technologies and automation. If you understand and agree that a “minimum beef price law” would disadvantage hamburger sales and enhance sirloin steak sales, then you should also understand and agree that a $15 an hour minimum wage law would disadvantage unskilled workers and deny many of them the valuable opportunity to get an entry-level job and gain the skills, training, and experience that will put them on the path to a better and more prosperous economic future. At $15 an hour, many unskilled workers simply won’t be able to effectively compete against skilled workers and against automation, and we’ve therefore handicapped America’s most vulnerable workers by taking away from them the most effective strategy they have – the ability to offer to work for a competitive wage that is consistent with their lack of skills.

Update 3: From Walter Williams:

The steak example applies to any mandated minimum price. In the case of minimum wage laws, a mandated minimum lowers the cost of – hence encourages – the indulgence of racial preference in the labor market.

Some might object to the validity of my example by saying that people are not the same things as cuts of meat. That is true – just as steel balls are not the same as people. However, although steels balls and people are different, both obey the law of gravity. The independent influence of gravity on a steel ball’s acceleration is 32 feet per second and its influence on a person is exactly the same. Similarly, quantities demanded for cuts of meat are influenced by the law of demand, and so are quantities demanded of a person’s labor service.

Update 2: Related quote from Milton Friedman:

The minimum wage law is most properly described as a law saying that employers must discriminate against people who have low skills. That’s what the law says. The law says that here’s a man who has a skill that would justify a wage of $5 or $6 per hour (adjusted for today), but you may not employ him, it’s illegal, because if you employ him you must pay him $9 per hour. So what’s the result?  To employ him at $9 per hour is to engage in charity. There’s nothing wrong with charity. But most employers are not in the position to engage in that kind of charity. Thus, the consequences of minimum wage laws have been almost wholly bad. We have increased unemployment and increased poverty.

Update 1: In the related video below (“The Cruelty of the $15 Minimum Wage“), Don Boudreaux reminds us that “Taking away from workers an important bargaining chip, namely the ability to offer to work at a wage less than the minimum, is the cruelest thing you can do for a lot of these workers.”

The post What economic lessons can we learn about the $15 minimum wage law from an ‘$8 per pound minimum beef price law’? appeared first on AEI.

Do you dread the thought of gentrification jacking up real estate prices (and stifling culture) in your neighborhood? In the future, you might only need keep tabs on social networks to know when your part of town is changing -- British researchers h...

For a band whose entire recent output concerns the terrors of our mechanised future, there's a quiet irony to the way the inflatable drones Muse bring to their live shows keep crashing haphazardly into their crowds.

Last night, at a gig in London's O2 Arena, the band's drone-blimp centrepiece lazily fell into the crowd after a technical hiccup. Thankfully no one was hurt, except the almost-certainly-sentient drone:

But this isn't the first time this has happened. At a show in Detroit in January, one of the choreographed drone spheres that circle the band's stage made this unexpected landing:

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Suicide Squad star Jared Leto put a lot of effort into playing the Joker. In preparation for the role, the actor met with "psychopaths and people who had committed horrendous crimes."

Maybe that's where Leto picked up the used condoms and anal beads?

Leto told Entertainment Weekly when he takes on a role like the Joker, he becomes "part detective, part writer."

"I knew I had to be committed as much as possible," Leto said. "I had to be committed beyond belief. And I did what I needed to do deliver the best I possibly could."

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Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, paid a visit to the Perimeter for Theoretical Physicals in Waterloo earlier today. There, he encountered a sassy reporter who seemingly didn't expect him to know much about quantum computing. But, as it turns...

As one business owner showed, things can go spectacularly wrong when you don't backup properly. User "bleemboy," who runs a site-hosting business with 1,535 customers (!), wrote to a server forum saying he was using a bash script command to erase som...

While the events of Game of Thrones: Season 6 are being kept under tight lock and key, United States President—and self-proclaimed Game of Thrones fan—Barack Obama has been granted early access to the show's forthcoming episodes.

"He's the leader of the free world," showrunner D.B. Weiss said during an interview (via THR) at the Hollywood screening of the Season 6 premiere. Series co-creator David Benioff also chimed in, adding, "When the commander-in-chief says 'I want to see advanced episodes,' what are you going to do?"

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by Siddhartha Sharma

Need to create a logo, website mockup, or any kind of digital illustration? You don’t need to buy or download software to do so. Gravit is a robust illustration tool that works in your browser.

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There’s nothing like cracking a cold beer on a hot summer day, but what if your six-pack isn’t chilled? You’ve got to find a way to get those brews frosty, lest you face the horror of a lukewarm libation. That’s why we’re trying a couple methods to cool your beer quickly.

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Onstage at its annual F8 developer conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the social network's 10-year road map. In addition to the company's dedication to live streaming (including a new API so developers can add live streaming to their har...

The Umbrella Academy writer and former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way is curating a new DC Comics popup imprint.

Young Animal, the imprint intended for "mature readers," will feature four series under Way's creative direction.

"I am thrilled to help bring DC's Young Animal to life, having been raised on experimental 80s and 90s takes on superheroes," Way said.

Young Animal's four titles are Doom Patrol; Shade, The Changing Girl; Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye; and Mother Panic. Way spoke on the DC All Access panel at Emerald City Comicon, and said these stories will allow the publisher to "explore fine art, bold concepts, mature themes, and strangeness—with a lot of heart."

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Mark Hamill has tweeted out a birthday message for Star Wars star Daisy Ridley, along with a behind the scenes shot from Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Here's Hamill's message: "A long time ago (last week I think) In a galaxy far, far away (@PinewoodStudios) THIS happened! Happy Birthday Daisy!" Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the new Star Wars films, turned 24 on April 10.

A long time ago (last week I think) In a galaxy far, far way(@PinewoodStudios ) THIS happened! Happy Birthday Daisy! pic.twitter.com/dYc9j65YBD

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) April 10, 2016

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GUNS N' ROSES has just completed the first of two shows at Las Vegas's new T-Mobile Arena. The band's lead singer, Axl Rose, played the concert with a broken bone in his foot, an injury he reportedly sustained last week when he slipped onstage while singing "Mr. Brownstone" at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California. Rose has since undergone an operation to insert a plate and screws in his foot after fracturing his fifth metatarsal. Rose wore cast at the Vegas show, and had a special stage setup — similar to the custom throne Dave Grohl used last year after breaking a leg — that allows him to perform. In fact, Axl told the audience that Grohl gave him the use of his throne while he is unable to walk. Rose said before GN'R launched into "Rocket Queen": "I wanna thank Dave Grohl for this; it was very nice of him. I've got nothing to do with this." As with the Troubadour gig, only Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup took part in the Las Vegas show. They were joined by keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them was second keyboardist Melissa Reese. Setlist: 01. It's So Easy 02. Mr. Brownstone 03. Chinese Democracy 04. Welcome To The Jungle 05. Double Talkin' Jive 06. Estranged 07. Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney & WINGS cover) 08. Rocket Queen 09. You Could Be Mine 10. New Rose (THE DAMNED cover) 11. This I Love 12. Coma 13. The Godfather Theme (Slash) 14. Sweet Child O' Mine 15. Better 16. Civil War 17. Wish You Were Here (Richard Fortus and Slash) 18. Layla (outro) 19. November Rain 20. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (BOB DYLAN cover) 21. Nightrain Encore: 22. Patience 23. Paradise City The GN'R frontman will apparently have to limit the amount of weight he puts on the front part of his foot for about four weeks. The band will play two gigs in Mexico City in addition to the Vegas and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival dates, before launching a stadium trek this summer. GUNS N' ROSES is getting a reported $8 million for its two appearances at Coachella.

Rain is normally a solar energy cell's worst nightmare, but a team of Chinese scientists could make it a tremendous ally. They've developed a solar cell with an atom-thick graphene layer that harvests energy from raindrops, making it useful even on...

FOX has announced that their freshman series Lucifer and Rosewood have both been renewed for Season 2.

Lucifer, based on the Vertigo comic spun-off from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, has been a success for FOX averaging 10.5 million viewers across platforms and is the fifth highest rated broadcast show among the 18-49 demographic. Rosewood is also in the top ten with 7.8 million average viewers across all platforms.

“We knew we had something special with Lucifer, from the engaging performances of Tom, Lauren and the rest of the charismatic cast, to Len Wiseman’s visually stunning look of the show and the amazing storytelling savvy of the Bruckheimer team,” says FOX President David Madden. “With Rosewood, creator Todd Harthan has put a fresh, playful spin on the procedural format, infusing it with wit and warmth, while Morris, Jaina and the show’s gifted supporting cast have turned in fantastic performances. We look forward to two stand-out sophomore seasons from both series.”

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